[Panhua Group has reached a strategic cooperation with Nanjing Steel]

This week, Ningbo’s large-sample HRC inventory stood at 324,200 mt, down 8,000 mt WoW, or 2.35% WoW, and up 17.51% on a lunar calendar YoY basis.

Australia's Centaurus Metals Ltd. confirmed its capability to produce direct reduction (DR) grade pellet feed at its Jambreiro Project in Minas Gerais, Brazil. A pilot plant successfully produced 0.5 tons of concentrate featuring an average 68.7% iron content, with low impurities including 1.45% silica, 0.48% alumina, and 0.02% phosphorus. The company is evaluating the production of a DR grade pellet with 68% iron and combined silica and alumina under 2%. The development positions Centaurus to supply premium feedstock for electric arc furnaces (EAF), offering steelmakers a critical avenue to lower their overall carbon footprint compared to traditional blast furnace feeds.

Argentina's crude steel production reached 399,400 metric tons (mt) in May 2026, marking an increase from 387,400 mt in April and a 14% rise compared to May 2025. On a monthly basis, hot-rolled coil (HRC) production surged by 48.5% to 192,000 mt, cold-rolled coil (CRC) increased by 8.5% to 102,500 mt, and long products rose by 6.1% to 133,800 mt. However, year-over-year data shows CRC and long products both declined by 9.8%. While energy and agriculture continue to drive effective steel demand, the domestic industry remains pressured by weak civil construction, tax structure burdens, and a notable influx of cheap Chinese imports affecting the local auto sector's consumption.