[SMM Sheets & Plates Daily Review] Coil Exports Warm Up, Inventory Edges Down

Published: Sep 17, 2026 16:38

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The most-traded HRC contract closed at 3,317 today, with futures moving sideways and a full-day decline of 0.12%. In the spot market, HRC prices fell 10 yuan/mt MoM, and intraday trading weakened MoM. SMM balance data released today showed production continued to increase, while both mill inventory and social inventory destocked to some extent. Among them, HRC social inventory at 86 warehouses nationwide (large sample) tracked by SMM stood at 4.6518 million mt, down 10,700 mt MoM, or -0.23% MoM, and up 25.37% YoY on a calendar-year basis. By region, except for a larger decline in east China, other regions still saw inventory buildup. Outside China, large traders recently saw a notable improvement in coil export orders, and the expected improvement in demand in markets outside China is gradually materializing. In summary, HRC prices are expected to continue moving sideways in the short term, with continued attention on further release of restocking demand around the two holidays and the gradual recovery of market sentiment.

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