HRC Inventory for Week 1 of February 2026

[SMM Chromium Daily Review: Market Operated Steadily with Mediocre Performance Ahead of the Holiday] February 5, 2026: The ex-factory price of high-carbon ferrochrome in Inner Mongolia today was 8,500-8,600 yuan/mt (50% metal content), flat MoM from the previous trading day...

[SMM Stainless Steel Daily Review] SS Futures Largely Stable, Spot Stainless Steel Pre-Holiday Trading Slows Down SMM, Feb 5: SS futures were in the doldrums. Although the most-traded SHFE nickel and other nonferrous metals futures fell overall today, SS futures remained largely stable, with the high reaching 13,900 yuan/mt. In the spot market, affected by the renewed weakness in SS futures and the approaching Chinese New Year holiday, inquiries and trading activity for stainless steel further slowed down. However, most spot traders have entered the holiday preparation stage, maintaining an optimistic sentiment, with offers largely holding steady. The most-traded SS futures contract was in the doldrums. At 10:30 a.m., the SS2603 contract was quoted at 13,760 yuan/mt, down 100 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. In Wuxi, the spot premiums/discounts for 304/2B were in the range of 410-610 yuan/mt. In the spot market, the average price of cold-rolled 201/2B coil in Wuxi was 8,500 yuan/mt; the average price of cold-rolled mill-edge 304/2B coil was 14,100 yuan/mt in Wuxi and 14,050 yuan/mt in Foshan; the price of cold-rolled 316L/2B coil was 26,600 yuan/mt in Wuxi and 26,600 yuan/mt in Foshan; the price of hot-rolled 316L/NO.1 coil was 25,750 yuan/mt in Wuxi; the price of cold-rolled 430/2B coil was 7,800 yuan/mt in both Wuxi and Foshan. With the Chinese New Year holiday approaching and risk aversion sentiment intensifying, bulls concentrated on profit-taking, leading to a lack of upward momentum in stainless steel futures, which overall showed a weak and fluctuating pattern. Signs of capital withdrawal were evident, further suppressing the rise in futures...

[SMM Daily Coking Coal and Coke Brief] Supply side, coking plants' losses narrowed, production enthusiasm is moderate, and coke supply remains stable. However, downstream purchasing enthusiasm is weak, coking plants face sluggish shipments, and coke inventory pressure has increased. Demand side, some steel mills recently announced blast furnace maintenance plans, leading to a slight weakening in rigid coke demand. Moreover, most steel mills have completed their Chinese New Year restocking, and their coke inventory is within a reasonable range, shifting their purchasing strategy to purchasing as needed. In summary, the coke market is expected to remain stable in the short term.