Totaling 142,000 tons, up 1.5% from a year ago Sales of domestic pre-painted steel sheets, which showed strong performance in April thanks to a price increase effect, extended an upward trend in May. The combined monthly sales by 9 pre-painted steel sheet makers were tallied at 142,200 tons in May, up 1.5% from the same month of 2003 but a drop of 0.8% from the April. Such a rise in the monthly sales on a year-on-year basis was seen both at home and abroad. In May, domestic sales of pre-painted steel sheets posted 89,600 tons, up 0.6% from a year ago and down 1.2% from a month earlier. Compared with April when speculative demand picked up high with a price hike in May ahead, the May sales decreased. A rise from a year agoin the monthly sales can be explained to have come from the large purchase last month by those consumers who failed to secure sufficient volume of products in April due to strong speculative demand. Exports of pre-painted steel sheets rose 3.1% from a year ago to 52,600 tons in May, but slid 0.2% from a month earlier. Outbound shipments to the U.S. increased, showing a rise in export prices as well, while overseas sales in China were sluggish due to weak demand. According to industry officials, the export price for the shipments bound for the U.S. has been so far robust, although a recent increase in volume in the shipments to the market has made the export prices somewhat daunted. As a season low-demand period is getting closer, exports are anticipated to decrease for the time being. Meanwhile, domestic market conditions have abruptly deteriorated in June, and so, sales are feared todecrease. Weak demand is draggingdown the market prices. Nevertheless, since it is still difficult to secure raw materials and hot-rolled coil price is expected to additionally increase in the second half of this year, unstable domestic market conditions appear to continue further for some time. sskim@snmnews.com