Handan and Baotou close order books

SteelOrbis Shanghai Two major steelmakers in North China have closed their order books in May, mainly due to strong export orders given previously. It is learnt that Handan Steel's hot rolled coil export in May is 15,000 metric tons, and that of galvanized is 10,000 metric tons. In May, Handan Steel is not accepting new orders from domestic traders, as it has delivery tasks for export contracts signed before. Besides, the maintenance for converters is another factor. Similar to Handan Steel, Baotou Steel is not accepting new orders from domestic traders either. Its orders for cold rolled products for domestic use only account for 50 percent of the normal production volume. Baotou Steel's hot rolled coil export planned for June is 40,000 metric tons. In addition, the mill plans to have a ten-day overhaul in June.