In September this year, the purchasing managers' index (PMI) of the steel sector in China’s Hebei Province decreased to 37.8 percent, down 4.5 percentage points month on month, falling to its second-lowest level in the current year, as announced by the Hebei Province Metallurgical Industry Association.
In September, the overall new order index for Hebei Province's steel sector stood at 35.6 percent, down 8.7 percentage points compared to the previous month. Meanwhile, the new export order index for the sector was at 46.9 percent, down 3.1 percentage points month on month. In the given month, the production index for Hebei Province's steel sector was at 30.4 percent, down 12.9 percentage points month on month.
In September, the inventory index for finished steel in Hebei Province decreased to 36.4 percent, down 4.1 percentage points month on month. In addition, the raw material inventory index in Hebei Province increased to 42.4 percent, up 9.1 percentage points month on month.