The Japanese company Kobe Steel has announced an increase in prices for wire rod and steel rebar by more than 10,000 yen per ton (approximately $63/t) in both domestic and export markets. The new prices will take effect for sales starting in April 2026 and will cover all product categories, including special steel and high-carbon wire rod.
This is reported by Finway
Reasons for Price Increases and Market Impact
The changes affect all consumer segments. This is the first price increase for this type of metal product in the last two years. The company explained that this decision was influenced by the steady rise in raw material costs, increased expenses for auxiliary materials, logistics, maintenance, and labor. According to representatives of Kobe Steel, these factors are difficult to offset solely through internal cost control measures, making price adjustments necessary.
“The company stated that these factors are hard to compensate for only through internal cost control measures and emphasized the necessity of raising prices.”
Situation Among Other Japanese Producers
Kobe Steel emphasized that it continues to work on strengthening its production base to ensure stable supplies of high-quality products, as well as increasing its capacity to meet growing customer demands.
In March, another major Japanese metallurgical company, Tokyo Steel, took a similar step. It announced a price increase for its products for April sales amid rising raw material costs. Specifically, the price of hot-rolled coils (1.7–22 mm) will rise by 7,000 yen per ton ($44/t) compared to the previous month, while the price for rebar and profiles will increase by 5,000 yen per ton ($31/t).