[SMM Hot Rolled Coil Daily Transactions] Spot HRC trading narrows slightly

China Export Market : [Steel Billet] Today, export offers for square billet edged down by 1 USD/tonne to 470-473 USD/tonne. According to market feedback, port departure inspections for steel products involved relatively little steel billet, so the impact on its exports was relatively small. However, the current economic conditions in markets outside China were not very favorable, the international situation was unstable, demand was relatively average, and steel billet export deals showed mediocre performance. [Rebar] Today, rebar export FOB prices edged down by 1 USD/tonne. Market inquiries showed mediocre performance, and no actual deals were concluded yet. According to feedback from some traders, inspections at northern ports have tightened recently, but the impact on rebar exports appeared relatively small at present. In addition, some market participants said that China’s export prices currently had no obvious advantage, and wait-and-see sentiment was strong.

On the DCE, iron ore futures trended weaker today, with the most-traded contract I2609 closing at 764 yuan/mt, down 0.46% from the previous trading day. Port spot prices fell 3–5 yuan from the previous day.

The most-traded HRC contract fluctuated downward today, closing at 3,358, down 0.33% MoM. Spot sheets & plates fell 10-20 yuan/mt MoM, while some markets held steady. Supply side, hot rolling maintenance impact eased this week, weekly production rose 10,500 mt MoM, and supply pressure remains on a short-term uptrend. Demand side, the late-session decline weighed on market sentiment, with end-users buying at low prices and speculative demand weakening. Cost side, the spot market for coking coal and coke remained in a tight supply-demand balance. The sixth round of coke price increases was implemented, and futures prices are currently in the process of repairing losses. There are market talks of a seventh round of increases on the 12th, and cost support remains in place. In summary, based on HRC social inventory data, east China and south China markets saw MoM inventory buildup, while northeast, north China, and central China markets saw MoM destocking. No obvious supply-demand imbalance has emerged yet. However, as the off-season deepens, imbalances will continue to build. The market is expected to remain rangebound in the short term. Keep monitoring disturbances from the raw material side.