[SMM Sheets & Plates Daily Review] Short-term sheets & plates continue to consolidate

Published: Sep 23, 2026 17:15 (GMT+8)
Today, the most-traded HRC contract drifted lower, closing at 3,301, down 0.18% intraday. Spot prices were mostly stable, with some markets seeing catch-up declines of 10-20 yuan/mt. In terms of supply, this week's HRC impact from maintenance was 109,700 mt, down 12,900 mt WoW. Next week's HRC impact from maintenance is 82,600 mt, down 27,100 mt WoW, leaving HRC supply relatively ample. Demand side, spot pullback room before the holiday is relatively narrow, with traders and steel mills mainly holding prices firm, and some end-users showing slightly higher stockpiling enthusiasm. Raw material side, according to an SMM survey, daily average hot metal output this week was 2.3943 million mt, down 4,800 mt WoW, with further declines likely ahead, weakening cost support. Watch for negative feedback risks after the holiday. Looking ahead, cost support is unlikely to provide a strong directional trend in the short term. Pre-holiday procurement demand is being released in some markets, and HRC social inventory is destocking. The most-traded HRC contract is expected to mainly move sideways in a narrow range in the short term.

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