In October this year, the purchasing managers' index (PMI) of the steel sector in China's Hebei Province decreased to 43.5 percent, down 0.4 percentage points month on month, declining for the second consecutive month, as announced by the Hebei Province Metallurgical Industry Association on October 31.
In October, the new order index for Hebei Province's steel sector stood at 40.7 percent, down 0.2 percentage points compared to the previous month. Meanwhile, the export order index for the sector was at 40.9 percent, down 4.9 percentage points month on month. In the given month, the production index for Hebei Province's steel sector decreased to 39.1 percent, down 5.3 percentage points month on month.
In October, the inventory index for finished steel in Hebei Province declined to 45.6 percent, down 4.4 percentage points, while the raw material inventory index stood at 40.2 percent, up 1.1 percentage points, both month on month.