[SMM Steel] Weak demand for finished steel, Tokyo Steel partially cuts scrap prices

In the height of summer, good news keeps pouring in. At 19:57 on July 18, 2026, Jilin Xinda Steel Co., Ltd.’s 365㎡ sintering machine started feeding and production on time as planned. On-site signal bells rang, and the belts on the proportioning and mixing line started sequentially, feeding materials evenly according to the set proportions. The first pallet car slowly moved out of the red-hot ignition furnace. The ignition effect was good, the material surface appeared bluish-blue, and the bed was flat and uniform. The entire system ran smoothly throughout, and the startup material was successfully turned into finished products, marking the successful one-time commissioning of the 365㎡ sintering machine. The company has advanced its comprehensive efforts to achieve ultra-low emissions and accelerated its green transformation, reaching a new level of development.

"The store sold 86 pre-owned homes in H1, a YoY growth of 43%. High-quality 'good homes' are highly favoured by clients," Li Songqiang, commercial district manager of the Beijing Lianjia Aozhou Kangdu store, told a China Securities Journal reporter. As July began, the recovery in Beijing and Shenzhen's housing markets continued to consolidate. A reporter visited several real estate agency stores and found that trading volumes and average transaction prices in both the new and pre-owned housing markets had improved simultaneously, client inquiries and on-site viewings remained high, and the market recovery momentum was becoming increasingly clear. Experts believe that the current market still has strong resilience and self-adjustment capability, and the subsequent recovery will be mainly characterized by structural improvement driven by high-quality supply.

According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs, in June 2026, China exported 5.11 million air conditioners, up 11.5% YoY; cumulative exports for January-June reached 39.16 million units, down 4.6% YoY. In June, exports of refrigerators stood at 8.17 million units, up 18.9% YoY; cumulative exports from January to June totaled 46.41 million units, up 14.6% YoY. In June, exports of washing machines reached 3.19 million units, up 12.2% YoY; cumulative January-June exports were 18.54 million units, up 10.1% YoY. In June, exports of LCD TVs amounted to 7.61 million units, down 2.6% YoY; cumulative exports for January-June hit 49.95 million units, up 2.9% YoY.