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SteelBenchmarker Report: World HRB Export Prices Up as Regional Prices Fall

The bi-monthly SteelBenchmarker™ World export HRB price for 25 February rose 2.7% to $608 per tonne, FOB the port of export, for the fourth consecutive time. The Western European HRB price slipped 0.6% to $655 per tonne (on a Euro basis, it rose 2.0%), ex-works, for the second consecutive time. The Chinese HRB ex-works price slipped 0.7% to $553 per tonne, after rising four consecutive times. The United States HRB spot price fell 2.9% to $676 per tonne, FOB the mill, after rising last time.  
In its one hundred sixty sixth report, the SteelBenchmarker released 10 steel product and 3 USA scrap prices. Of these, here are four benchmark prices for hot-rolled band for 25 February 2013:
USA – $676 per tonne ($614 per ton), FOB the mill – down $20 per tonne from $696 ($631 ton) two weeks ago, up $24 per tonne from the recent low of $652 ($591 ton) on 22 October 2012, and down $140 per tonne from the recent high of $816 ($740 ton) on 23 January 2012.  It is down $527 (43.8%) per tonne from the record peak of $1,203 ($1,091 ton) on 28 July 2008. 
China – $553 per tonne, ex-works – down $4 per tonne from $557 two weeks ago, up $146 per tonne from the previous low of $407 on 12 October 2009, and down $84 per tonne from the recent high of $637 on 22 August 2011. It is down $180 (24.6%) from the record peak of $733 on 14 July 2008.
Western Europe – $655 (€500) per tonne, ex-works – down $4 per tonne from $659 (€490) per tonne two weeks ago (on a Euro basis, it was up €10), up $84 (up €119) from the previous low of $571 (€381) on 23 November 2009, and down $45 (€20) per tonne from the recent high of $700 (€520) on 27 February 2012. It is down $549 (€256) (45.6%) from the record peak of $1,204 (€756) on 14 July 2008. 
World Export Price – $608 per tonne, FOB the port of export – up $16 per tonne from $592 two weeks ago, up $112 per tonne from the previous low of $496 on 9 November 2009, and down $48 per tonne from the recent high of $656 on 12 March 2012. It is down $505 (45.4%) per tonne from the record peak of $1,113 on 28 July 2008.