Weakening prices changed direction when the 3-month price of steel billet rose 3.3 percent on Nov. 29, 2012 on the LME. The steel billet cash price finished the market day on the LME up 1.7 percent per metric ton.

Chinese steel closed mixed on Thursday, while Chinese HRC saw its price rise 0.5 percent, while the price of Chinese coking coal was unchanged.

The US HRC futures contract 3-month price saw little movement. For the fifth day in a row, the US HRC futures contract spot price remained essentially flat.