One month after the Lunar New Year, Taiwan's domestic scrap steel supply has failed to recover. Although volumes usually rise after the Lantern Festival, current collection levels remain 20% to 30% lower than previous years. Electric arc furnace mills face high product demand, yet international shortages prevent them from filling this gap.

Surveys show scrap dealers are not intentionally withholding stock; they simply cannot source enough material. To secure limited resources, both dealers and mills have raised prices significantly.

Although some foreign scrap arrivals are expected in late March, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has pushed global raw material costs to unpredictable levels. Therefore, the local shortage continues despite aggressive price hikes.