Stainless Price Update: 304 Edges Higher, 316 Softens

📈 Shanghai Metals Market's latest stainless-steel price table gives white-steel buyers a clearer snapshot of where the market stood before the new trading week. The June 12 update listed 304/2B stainless coil at RMB 15,175 per tonne, up RMB 50, while 304/NO.1 coil stood at RMB 14,540 per tonne, up RMB 30. The move was not a broad rally across all grades, but it does show that mainstream 304 material still had some price support in the latest quoted session.
🔩 The same SMM table showed a mixed picture across other stainless grades. 201/2B coil was unchanged at RMB 8,830 per tonne, 430/2B coil stayed flat at RMB 7,735 per tonne, while 316/2B coil fell RMB 200 to RMB 29,940 per tonne. That split matters because it suggests the current white-steel market is being driven more by grade-specific cost and demand conditions than by one simple direction for the whole stainless chain.
🧭 For traders, fabricators and end users, the practical message is to watch confirmed spot quotations rather than assuming every stainless product will follow 304 higher. Broader steel indicators also remain uneven, with Trading Economics showing benchmark steel at RMB 3,152 per tonne on June 12, up 0.64% on the day but still lower over the month. If demand stays cautious, near-term stainless transactions may continue to focus on urgent orders, delivery timing and grade-by-grade negotiation instead of aggressive restocking.