In the January-September period of this year, the aggregate gross profit of the Chinese iron and steel industry amounted to RMB 127 billion ($20.84 billion), increasing by 39.9 percent year on year, according to the data released by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). In particular, in the given period the aggregate gross profit of China's ferrous metal mining sector totaled RMB 64.8 billion ($10.63 billion), down 2.1 percent year on year, while the aggregate gross profit of the Chinese iron and steel smelting and processing sector was RMB 52.8 billion ($8.66 billion), 1.8 times more than in the same period last year.
In September, the domestic steel price index averaged at 101.38 points, down 0.08 points month on month, but up 0.91 points year on year. Meanwhile, in the month in question, the average price of 6.5 mm high-speed wire rod was RMB 3,548/mt ($582/mt), down 1.3 percent month on month and down 2.6 percent year on year, while the average price of 20 mm plate was RMB 3,622/mt ($594/mt), down 2.1 percent month on month and up 2.5 percent year on year. The average price of 1.0 mm cold rolled coil (CRC) in China in September was RMB 4,537/mt ($744/mt), down 0.5 percent month on month and up 1.9 percent year on year.
Moreover, in the first nine months of the current year, China's output of metallurgical coke amounted to 356.27 million mt, increasing 8.2 percent year on year, while its output of ferroalloys totaled 26.09 million mt, rising by 13.1 percent year on year.
During the January-September period, China's imports of finished steel amounted to 10.48 million mt, down 0.4 percent, while its exports of finished steel totaled 46.90 million mt, up 14.6 percent, both year on year.