Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: the iron and steel industry gradually got rid of the impact of the epidemic in the first

Published: Jul 30, 2020 11:27
Source: Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

SMM News: in the first half of the year, the iron and steel industry gradually got rid of the impact of the epidemic, resumed work and production in an orderly manner, and production and operation maintained a stable operation.

First, production maintains a high level of operation. In June, the national output of pig iron, crude steel and steel was 77.64 million tons, 91.58 million tons and 115.85 million tons respectively, up 4.1%, 4.5% and 7.5% respectively over the same period last year. From January to June, the national output of pig iron, crude steel and steel was 433 million tons, 499 million tons and 606 million tons respectively, up 2.2%, 1.4% and 2.7% respectively over the same period last year.

Second, steel prices are low. According to the monitoring of the China Iron and Steel Association, in June, China's steel price index averaged 103.1 points, down 5.4% from a year earlier. From January to June, China's steel price index averaged 101.0 points, down 7.7% from a year earlier, of which long wood fell by an average of 8.2% and plates by an average of 7.5%.

Third, the pressure of steel trade is rising. According to the General Administration of Customs, in June, the country exported 3.701 million tons of steel, down 30.2 percent from the same period last year, and imported 1.878 million tons of steel, an increase of 98.7 percent over the same period last year. From January to June, the country exported a total of 28.704 million tons of steel, down 16.5 percent from the same period last year, and imported 7.343 million tons of steel, an increase of 26.1 percent over the same period last year.

Fourth, the economic benefits have dropped sharply. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in June, the ferrous metal metallurgy and Calendering industry achieved a business income of 639.1 billion yuan, an increase of 6.0 percent over the same period last year, and a total profit of 34.75 billion yuan, an increase of 35.3 percent over the same period last year. From January to June, the operating income of the ferrous metal metallurgy and Calendering industry reached 3.18604 trillion yuan, down 3.8 percent from the same period last year, and the total profit was 84.08 billion yuan, down 40.3 percent from the same period last year.

Fifth, steel inventory remains high. According to the monitoring of the China Iron and Steel Association, in late June, the steel inventory of key enterprises was 13.62 million tons, an increase of 330000 tons, or 2.5 percent, over the end of last month, and an increase of 2.39 million tons, or 21.3 percent, over the same period last year. The social inventory of five kinds of steel (medium plate, cold-rolled sheet, hot-rolled sheet, wire rod and rebar) in the country's main steel market was 12.16 million tons, down 960000 tons from the previous month, or 7.3 percent, and an increase of 710000 tons, or 6.2 percent, over the same period last year.

Sixth, there has been a simultaneous increase in the import volume and price of ore. According to the General Administration of Customs, iron ore imports in June were 101.68 million tons, up 16.8 percent from the previous month and 35.3 percent from the same period last year. The average import price was 100.8 US dollars per ton, up 10.0 percent from the previous month. From January to June, iron ore imports totaled 546.91 million tons, an increase of 9.6 per cent over the same period last year. The average import price was US $90.20 per ton, up 0.9 per cent from the same period last year and 1.8 per cent higher than in the first quarter.

Seventh, steel consumption continues to grow. In June, China's apparent consumption of crude steel was 90.31 million tons, an increase of 8.6 percent over the same period last year. From January to June, China's apparent consumption of crude steel was 480.66 million tons, an increase of 3.8 percent over the same period last year. From the perspective of the downstream steel industry, compared with the first quarter, the new construction area of real estate, automobile production and ship output increased by 145.8%, 87.1% and 55.9% respectively in the second quarter, strongly supporting the growth of iron and steel production.

"SMM online Q & A" has come to the market, price, information if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Scan the QR code and join the SMM metal communication group.

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.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn
For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn
Related News
Australia Reviews Anti-Dumping Duties on Galvanized Steel from India, Malaysia, Vietnam Amid Zinc Concerns
Sep 11, 2026 18:30
Australia Reviews Anti-Dumping Duties on Galvanized Steel from India, Malaysia, Vietnam Amid Zinc Concerns
Read More
Australia Reviews Anti-Dumping Duties on Galvanized Steel from India, Malaysia, Vietnam Amid Zinc Concerns
Australia Reviews Anti-Dumping Duties on Galvanized Steel from India, Malaysia, Vietnam Amid Zinc Concerns
On September 9, 2026, Australia initiated its second sunset review of anti-dumping measures on galvanized steel sheet from India, Malaysia and Vietnam, and separately launched a sunset review of countervailing measures on imports from India. The review covers July 2025-June 2026, with the final report expected by February 11, 2027. As galvanized steel is the largest end-use sector for zinc, the measures directly affect export costs and competitiveness, potentially impacting Australia’s domestic zinc demand and supply chain. Maintaining the duties would provide some protection for domestic steel and coating capacity, while termination could increase low-priced imports and affect regional zinc consumption. The final outcome remains subject to the authorities’ determination.
Sep 11, 2026 18:30
JCC Hongyuan Copper's $200M Expansion Project Aims to Boost Capacity to 550,000 mt by 2027
Sep 7, 2026 15:43
JCC Hongyuan Copper's $200M Expansion Project Aims to Boost Capacity to 550,000 mt by 2027
Read More
JCC Hongyuan Copper's $200M Expansion Project Aims to Boost Capacity to 550,000 mt by 2027
JCC Hongyuan Copper's $200M Expansion Project Aims to Boost Capacity to 550,000 mt by 2027
The 300,000 mt/year copper cathode expansion project of JCC Hongyuan Copper, a subsidiary of Jiangxi Copper Corporation, entered the pre-approval public notice stage of its environmental impact assessment on September 4, with a total investment of approximately 1.416 billion yuan. The project is planned to start construction in September 2026 and be completed in December 2027. Upon completion, JCC Hongyuan's total capacity will jump from 250,000 mt to 550,000 mt.
Sep 7, 2026 15:43
Japanese Yen Increases USD/JPY Drops Below 159 Amid Intervention Speculation
Sep 3, 2026 19:00
Japanese Yen Increases USD/JPY Drops Below 159 Amid Intervention Speculation
Read More
Japanese Yen Increases USD/JPY Drops Below 159 Amid Intervention Speculation
Japanese Yen Increases USD/JPY Drops Below 159 Amid Intervention Speculation
[SMM Precious Metal Express] The Japanese yen spiked sharply during Wednesday's trading, with USD/JPY falling below 159 and closing down 0.92% at 158.69, sparking speculation of Japanese currency intervention. The dollar index also dropped sharply, with a weaker dollar environment providing support for precious metals.
Sep 3, 2026 19:00
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: the iron and steel industry gradually got rid of the impact of the epidemic in the first - Shanghai Metals Market (SMM)