Operating Rates of Blast Furnaces Down 2.76% on Week

Published: Sep 29, 2021 15:32

Save

The operating rates of blast furnaces at steel mills fell 2.76% on the week and 7.16% from a month ago to 73.84% as of September 29, SMM survey showed.

SHANGHAI, Sep 29 (SMM) - The operating rates of blast furnaces at steel mills fell 2.76% on the week and 7.16% from a month ago to 73.84% as of September 29, SMM survey showed.

The operating rates of blast furnace declined sharply as Yunnan and Fujian sharply reduced production this week and the production restrictions policies remained tight, and are expected to fluctuate rangebound next week. 19 provinces have issued power rationing plans. The power consumption is likely to tighten in Q4 and steel supply to fall sharply. The output of construction materials fell sharply in September. Its transactions rose sharply amid pre-holiday restocking, supporting high steel prices. HRC supply was muted in September and its price increase was less than rebar. Besides, the downstream demand has also been affected by the power rationing policies. China’s capital market is closed for seven days during the National Day holiday and overseas markets operate normally. The merchants held a cautious outlook and the market sentiment is stable.

blast furnaces operating rate

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

Sep 11, 2026 18:30

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

Sep 7, 2026 15:43

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

Sep 3, 2026 19:00

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