TOKYO -- The price of industrial materials has dropped sharply as China's economy slows in the wake of the yearlong trade war with the U.S.
Hot-rolled steel coil, used in cars and industrial machinery, now hovers at $550 per ton for East Asia-bound shipments, down 10% over a year. The price declined sharply last fall as the trade war intensified. ABS plastic, used in exteriors for consumer electronics, has fared even worse, dropping nearly 30% from a year earlier.
