[SMM Analysis] SS declined, combined with persistently weak transactions during the off-season, and stainless steel inventory stopped its decline, stabilized, and slightly accumulated.
[SMM Analysis] SS Decline and Weak Off-Season Trading Keep Stainless Steel Inventory Basically Stable with Slight Buildup
SMM, June 25: This week, stainless steel social inventory ended its previous destocking trend, and under off-season conditions, overall inventory stabilized and edged up slightly.
Total inventory in the two core markets of Wuxi and Foshan rose slightly, from 932,000 mt on June 18, 2026, to 932,800 mt on June 25, up 0.06% WoW. The inventory shifted from continuous destocking to slight buildup, with off-season inventory pressure becoming marginally apparent.
This week, the stainless steel market was fully in the traditional consumption off-season, with end-user rigid demand support continuing to weaken.
During the week, metals futures weakened across the board, coupled with news-related disturbances from Indonesia. SS futures drifted lower, bearish sentiment in the market intensified, downstream end-users became more wait-and-see, overall purchasing willingness was insufficient, and spot market trading remained weak.
This week, news of maintenance and production cuts at steel mills continued to simmer, with some mills reducing shipments, leading to a marginal decline in market supply. Meanwhile, traders, amid pessimistic expectations, showed low willingness to actively purchase, and generally adopted strategies of selling at lower margins and reducing inventory to accelerate the turnover of goods on hand. This largely offset the inventory buildup pressure from weak off-season demand, keeping overall social inventory basically stable with only a slight increase.
Overall, the core factors behind the shift from destocking to slight inventory buildup this week were weak end-user rigid demand during the off-season and weakening futures dampening market sentiment. Meanwhile, supply contraction from steel mill maintenance and traders' proactive destocking provided critical support to prevent a pronounced inventory buildup. At this stage, the market's off-season characteristics are increasingly evident...