Daily crude steel output at CISA member mills extends decline in late-Jul

The China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) reported that crude steel output across major mills in China averaged 2.32 million mt per day in the second ten days of April, up 2.21% from early April and up 19.1% from the same period a year ago.

The China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) reported that crude steel output across major mills in China averaged 2.27 million mt per day in the first ten days of April, up 2.88% from late March and up 16.86% from the same period a year ago.

Operating rates at domestic iron ore mines in October rose 0.7 percentage point from September, with operating rates at private mines 0.4 percentage point higher and 1.1 percentage points higher at state-owned mines.

China’s imports of steel products soared last month as coronavirus containment measures dealt a hefty blow to foreign demand and pulled prices overseas lower. Data published by China’s General Administration of Customs on Tuesday showed that China imported 1.14 million mt of steel products in March, up 26.3% from a year earlier. Total imports in the first three months of 2020 came in at 3.18 million mt, with a year-over-year increase of 9.7%.

SMM data showed that HRC stocks across social warehouses and steelmakers decreased 3.59% in the week ended April 9 to 5.26 million mt, marking a fourth straight week of decline and larger than a 2.2% fall in the previous week.

Primary lead output in China expanded significantly last month, as some large smelters recovered from maintenance and small and medium-sized smelters reopened after the spread of the coronavirus in the country came under control. China’s output of primary lead increased 11.94% from February to 240,000 mt in March, to produce a year-over-year decline of 7.03%. Output in the first three months of 2020 was 6.13% lower than the same period the year before.

China’s top steelmaking hub, Tangshan in Hebei province, has issued its air pollution control plan for April, continuing to exempt steelmakers that are graded as A and B on their environmental status,

High costs and low steel prices have pushed them to the verge of losses

Production of crude steel in Apr grew 12.7% from a year ago to stand at 85.03 million mt

Inventories of steel products across CISA member mills decreased by 8.8% from Apr 20, to 11.7 million mt as of Apr 30