In March this year, the purchasing managers index (PMI) for the Chinese steel sector was at 50.6 percent, down 0.8 percentage points as compared to February this year, as announced by the China Steel Logistics Committee (CSLC), which is part of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP).
In addition, in March the production index for the steel sector increased by 1.6 percentage points compared to the previous month to 52 percent. Meanwhile, in March the sub-index for new orders saw a decrease of 4.7 percentage points month on month to 50.6 percent.
In the given month, the finished steel inventory index increased to 53 percent, up 5.3 percentage points month on month, the index for new export orders saw a month-on-month decrease of 7.1 percentage points to 41.6 percent, while the purchase price index in the Chinese steel sector stood at 62.6 percent, indicating an increase of 2.2 percentage points month on month.