[SMM Survey] Significant Increase in Blast Furnace Overhauls in December; Pig Iron Production Expected to Hit Bottom and Rebound in January

[SMM Survey: Significant Increase in Blast Furnace Maintenance in December, Pig Iron Production Expected to Rebound After Hitting Bottom in January] According to tracking data from the SMM survey, 38 blast furnaces underwent maintenance in December, resulting in a daily pig iron reduction of 163,500 mt. The maintenance activities were mainly concentrated in north China, east China, and central China. Meanwhile, 24 blast furnaces resumed production, increasing daily pig iron production by 102,000 mt. The regions where blast furnaces resumed production largely overlapped with those undergoing maintenance. The impact from blast furnace maintenance significantly increased in December. SMM data shows that blast furnace maintenance in December led to a net reduction of 7.7815 million mt in pig iron production, up 1.8432 million mt from November. The average daily pig iron production decreased by approximately 60,000 mt. Pig iron production in January is expected to improve MoM from December, but the rebound is likely to be limited. ......