Influencing all of the price projection is the outlook for the Chinese economy and its steel industry which has all but stopped expanding.

FORBES: Connect

Many in the shipping industry see a sluggish year ahead for Chinese exports, a cornerstone for the nation's economy, despite other indications of growing demand for China's products.

WSJ: What's News

What matters more than a difference of a few tenths of a percentage point in growth from quarter to quarter is whether Chinese leaders are allowing the private sector to flourish by reducing the role of state industry in the economy, said Ben Simpfendorfer, managing director of Silk Road Associates, a consulting firm in Hong Kong.

NPR: China's Struggle To Measure Economy Clouds Outlook