According to a new report issued by the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA), in June this year China’s average aggregate daily crude steel output amounted to 2.3175 million mt, up 1.8 percent month on month and increasing by 0.8 percent year on year.
According to the CISA, as of June 30 this year, iron ore inventory held by major Chinese steel enterprises amounted to 102.68 million mt, up 820,000 mt month on month and increasing by 23.97 million mt year on year. In the first half of the current year, China’s pig iron output amounted to 345 million mt, down 7.10 million mt year on year, while the country’s iron ore imports amounted to 494 million mt, up 41.16 million mt year on year, reflecting the ongoing oversupply situation in the iron ore market.
Meanwhile, after the rainy season which negatively affected domestic steelmakers’ production activities and caused a shortage of supply, demand for finished steel will likely improve in the coming period. It is thought that it is thought that finished steel prices in China will likely just indicate some slight fluctuations in the coming period, as stated by the CISA.