In Japan, the quantity of roundabout products via a third country distributed in Japan has been dwindling, and the number of shippers which were awarded a contract at a low price in the tender floated by electric furnace mills decreased. However, some of customers which mainly use products irrespective of the quality are absorbed in finding a cheap product in the market. For that reason, the trading firms which mainly handle regularly exported products can't reflect the purchase price in China in their prices. Both offer and contract prices remain unchanged from the prior trade.

Chinese cheap products via a third country has continued to be scarce. The export which was disguised as another products increased after June, but decreased in September as the crackdown in the China's side was strengthened from August. Both offer and contract prices for the purchase in Japan remained flat from the last time.

For a reference, as it was announced last week that OM Sarawak (Malaysia) would make a debut, the customers' interest now is focused on when the products will come on the market and what will be a price level.

The trade of Russian ferro-silicon is thin in the Japanese domestic market, and the price has had no change and continued to remain flat.

• [Editor:Phillip.Feng]