In September this year, the purchasing managers' index (PMI) of China's steel sector decreased to 49.2 percent, down 4.2 percentage points month on month, as announced by the China Steel Logistics Committee (CSLC) which is part of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP).
In September, the new order index for China's steel sector stood at 49.2 percent, down 8.9 percentage points compared to the previous month. Meanwhile, the export order index for the sector was at 44.9 percent, down 7.8 percentage points month on month. In the given month, the production index for China's steel sector increased to 53 percent, up 1.1 percentage points month on month.
In September, uncertainty in the prospects for the Chinese steel sector increased due to rising production costs and pressure from inventories.