Walsin Lihwa, a stainless steel wire rod and cable manufacturer in Taiwan, announced its May stainless steel wire rod pricing yesterday (April 29), matching the NT$4,000 increase in Yieh United Steel Corp. (Yusco)’s 304 products.

This decision resulted in a sixth consecutive month of rising prices for both flat products and wire rods. Walsin Lihwa said the price hike was to reflect higher benchmark prices for Indonesian nickel ore and rising costs for sulfur and natural gas due to Middle East conflicts. These factors, combined with volatile ocean freight rates from geopolitical uncertainty, have put significant pressure on steelmaking expenses.

Specifically, Walsin Lihwa increased its main 300-series products by NT$4,000 per ton. Copper-bearing grades and 316 series grew by NT$5,000 per ton, and 200-series and 400-series products rose by NT$2,000 and NT$1,000, respectively.