[SMM Steel]

On July 23 China's steel exports edged higher. Plate/HRC export prices rose USD 1-2/tonne day on day, with HRC deals at 487-492 USD/tonne; yet with domestic futures up, traders reported deals lagging recent days and mills' order-taking also below expectations. Export billet FOB nudged up USD 1-2 to 458-460 USD/tonne at Jiangyin — hit by a Middle-East shipping-security incident and a marked drop in traffic through the relevant strait that lifted freight and insurance costs, billet seaborne trade came under pressure and actual deals still required price concessions. Rebar export edged up day on day though the afternoon futures fell and offers loosened slightly; inquiries were flat amid continued wait-and-see, with a few East-China mills quoting British-standard rebar at 482-483 USD/tonne (ex-Jiangyin).

Today, the DCE iron ore futures moved strongly today. The most-traded DCE I2609 contract closed at 747.5 yuan/mt, up 0.74%. Spot prices at Qingdao Port rose roughly 5-8 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. Trader activity was moderate, and inquiries from steel mills were limited. Spot trading was poor.

Anti-dumping investigation about imported steel flat bar from Taiwan has been launched effectively on July 20th 2026 following by an application from Infrabuild NSW Pty Ltd. The products investigated are steel flat bars with widths more than 17 mm & up to including 150 mm.