[SMM Inventário de HRC de Lecong] O inventário de HRC de Lecong continuou a acumular nesta semana.

Today, HRC’s the most-traded contract fluctuated downward, closing at 3,380 yuan/mt, up 0.6% from the previous trading day. Spot sheets & plates prices rose 10-20 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. In terms of supply, this week, the impact from maintenance on hot rolling totaled 74,100 mt, down 156,400 mt WoW. Next week’s impact from maintenance on hot rolling is expected at 23,100 mt, down 51,000 mt WoW. Supply pressure sustained its uptrend this month. Demand side, futures rebounded near the close, improving market trading from the previous trading day. Trading was mostly at low prices, with some buyers taking advantage of the spot-futures price spread to purchase on dips. Cost side, near the close today, market rumors suggested that a major mine signaled a halt on certifying blended super special fines, driving iron ore futures to surge. However, subsequent rumors refuted this, causing futures to fluctuate sharply. For coking coal and coke, the spot market saw tight supply-demand dynamics, and they are expected to recover some losses in the short term. Overall, according to the regional HRC inventory data released today, except for South China, most regions maintained destocking. The supply-demand imbalance remains not significant, and they are expected to continue their sideways trend in the short term, with attention on disruptions in the raw material supply.

A mineradora estatal NMDC e a siderúrgica SAIL estão explorando a aquisição de ativos de carvão coqueificável na Rússia para garantir o fornecimento de matéria-prima, segundo fontes do setor. A Índia enviou uma delegação à Rússia em maio para conversas preliminares, e a SAIL formou um painel interno para avaliar oportunidades. Atualmente, a Austrália fornece mais da metade das necessidades indianas de carvão coqueificável, com a Rússia detendo uma participação menor. A Índia também busca diversificar as importações de níquel da Rússia. O carvão coqueificável foi designado como mineral estratégico crítico pelo governo indiano.