In December this year, the purchasing managers' index (PMI) of the steel sector in China's Hebei Province increased to 48.2 percent, up 6.1 percentage points month on month, but remaining below 50 for the eighth consecutive month, as announced by the Hebei Province Metallurgical Industry Association on December 31.
In December, the new order index for Hebei Province's steel sector stood at 46.7 percent, up 7.6 percentage points compared to the previous month. Meanwhile, the export order index for the sector was at 39.3 percent, down 6.2 percentage points month on month. In the given month, the production index for Hebei Province's steel sector increased to 52.2 percent, up 17.5 percentage points month on month.
In December, the inventory index for finished steel in Hebei Province declined to 40 percent, up 1.7 percentage points, while the raw material inventory index stood at 44.7 percent, up 0.8 percentage points, both month on month.