Social Inventory Buildup of Building Materials Slowed This Period, Regional Performance Diverged

Published: Jul 16, 2026 11:27

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Social inventory of building materials: According to an SMM survey, the total social inventory buildup of building materials continued to slow down this period. As of July 16, 2026, SMM building materials social inventory stood at 5.6042 million mt, up by 44,700 mt WoW, an increase of 0.80%. The main reason was that during the survey period, affected by typhoon and rainy weather, arrivals of resources in some regions decreased, causing the pace of social inventory buildup to slow down.
Social inventory by region: Currently, regional inventory performance diverged. In east China, overall inventory edged up slightly, mainly due to the impact of typhoon weather over the weekend, which led to temporary closures at riverside terminals and restricted construction at downstream sites, slightly slowing the pace of purchases. In some areas such as Nanjing and Fujian, reduced production at steel mills led to fewer arrivals of resources, causing social inventory to slightly destock. In the northeast, some places were hit by heavy rain and floods, triggering a Level I flood control and drainage response. All downstream construction sites were suspended, accelerating inventory buildup. In the northwest, the inflow of external resources from the north has recently decreased, resulting in a slight reduction in inventory. Other regions basically experienced normal inventory buildup.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

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