[Expressed by www.ferro-alloys.cn]

At the beginning of 2018, all silicon calcium producers in Ningxia had recovered production, but reduced by 50 percent of the output. Production of Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, the main production areas of silicon calcium, kept normal, but the spot of silicon calcium was still in short supply. Production of metal calcium in Shanxi is relatively normal, but on the eve of the Spring Festival, most of the producers are limited production to 50 percent. Affected by environmental protection, cost of raw materials and other factors, production of most of cored wire producers in Anyang, Henan Province, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces were less optimistic. Some of producers said that it was difficult to purchase the raw materials for cored wires and the market price was too high, so they had to reduce production or take a wait-and-see attitude. Production of strip steel producers in Hebei Province was normal and the overall price fluctuation is small.

After Spring Festival holiday, producers of raw material and cored wire put back on normal production successively. Silicon calcium production of Ningxia, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia was normal. Production of Henan, Jiangsu and Shandong, the main production areas of cored wire is relatively normal. Most of metal calcium producers in Shanxi are still limited production to 50 percent, which remained normal by and large. Production of the strip steel producers in Hebei was normal with relatively stable orders.

In mid-to-late March, production of most cored wire producers in Anyang, Henan Province was less optimistic. Domestic market price and export price of cored wire remained stable. Production of Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, the main production areas was normal in which there were more inquiries but less actual transactions.

In mid-to-late April, production of raw material and cored wire producers was normal. Silicon calcium production in Ningxia, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia was normal, but the actual transaction price was low. Production in Henan, Jiangsu and Shandong, the main production areas of cored wire, was normal. The production was determined according to orders. The orders were maintained depend on regular customers. Most of the metal calcium producers in Shanxi were still limited production to 50 percent and maintained normal by and large. Affected by demand, the trend of metal calcium was less optimistic with weak operation. Some strip steel producers in Hebei Province said that, cold rolled strip steel market was stable in operation and the raw material and supply and demand market was stable recently.

In May and June, affected by environmental protection, most of cored wire producers in Anyang, Henan Province still got no improved and many silicon calcium producers halted production due to environmental protection. Production of Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, the main production areas, was normal, the order situation was less optimistic and actual transaction was not so much. The production and overall output of metal calcium in Shanxi were stable.

From July to October 2018, there was no remarkable change in domestic cored wire industry with poor transaction and maintained the original state by and large.

From the beginning of November to the end of December, numerous manufacturers in Henan, Jiangsu and Shandong, the main production areas of cored wire, have stopped or limited production due to environmental protection factors. Insiders revealed that such situation was expected to continue until the eve of the Spring Festival in 2019. The cored market is calm in a stable state of operation all along. Except fluctuation of varying degrees in the prices of raw materials of cored wire, such as cold rolled strip steel, metal calcium and calcium silicon alloy, no large fluctuation in prices of various products of cored wire appeared and some of them were have never changed.

At present, the mainstream transaction price of Ca28Si55∮13mm is 10,500 to 11,500 yuan per ton. Ca30Si58 is 11,800 to 12,300 yuan per ton. Solid pure calcium cored wire (Ca98%min∮9mm) is 10,500 to 11,000 yuan per ton. Ferro calcium cored wire (Ca30∮13mm) is 8,300 to 8,800 yuan per ton. Ferro calcium cored wire (Ca30∮30mm) is 10,000 to 10,500 yuan per ton. Carbon cored wire (C98%∮13mm) is 6,500 to 7,000 yuan per ton. Silicon magnesium cored wire (Si40Mg28Re2∮13mm) is 11,500 to 12,500 yuan per ton. Calcium silicon alloy Ca30 (natural block) is 10,000 to 10,100 yuan per ton, Ca30 (particle size 0-3mm) is 11,800 to 12,200 yuan per ton and Ca28 (natural block) is 12,000 to 12,300 yuan per ton. Metal crude calcium is 15,100-15,300 yuan per ton. Cold rolled strip steel SPCC 0.35-0.45mm is 5,100 yuan per ton, SPCC 0.35*55 Q195 is 4,470 yuan per ton, SPCC0.35-0.39*55 is 4,500 yuan per ton and SPCC0.4-0.49*55 is 4,450 yuan per ton. Seamless metal calcium cored wire (Ca98%min∮9mm) is 10,000 to 11,000 yuan per ton and seamless metal calcium cored wire (Ca98%min∮10mm) is 15,000 to 16,000 yuan per ton.

In general, domestic cored wire industry in 2018 is lackluster. The prices of cored wire products are basically in the state of low consolidation. Additionally, affected by environmental protection standards, descending demand, rising prices of raw materials and labour cost, profit space of numerous cored wire producers further reduced. Most of producers maintain orders mainly depend on regular customers and determine output according to the volume of the orders. Some group enterprises produce cored wire products for internal uses. Some of them take a wait-and-see attitude. Some small and medium-sized producers are difficult to sustain and had to halt or transform.

In recent years, the problems of price in domestic market are in industrial value-added tax. Price competition worsens the development environment on the tax point. Due to the lack of industrial knowledge and property right awareness in the industry, it is necessary to be careful in marketing. Even if good products are available, they dare not to put them into the market directly. It is urgent to establish the industrial association to promote sound development of the enterprises, to achieve information share, to build up industrial brands, to serve the enterprises based on industrial chain of cored wire to create a win-win situation.

• [Editor:张德众]