In the January-March period of the current year, China’s crude steel output amounted to 212.15 million mt, up 5.4 percent year on year, as announced by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). In the given year, China’s finished steel output and ferroalloys output amounted to 246.93 million mt and 8.15 million mt, up 4.7 percent and 9.4 percent year on year, respectively, while China’s overall output of metallurgical coke totaled 102.85 million mt, down 3.2 percent year on year. Meanwhile, in the given period China’s finished steel exports amounted to 15.15 million mt, down 26.4 percent, while its finished steel imports totaled 3.45 million mt, down 0.8 percent, both year on year.
As also indicated by the NDRC, in March this year China's average composite steel price index issued by the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) was at 113.84 points, down 0.93 points compared to February and rising by 8.51 points year on year. In particular, in March of the current year, the average prices of 6.5 mm high-speed wire rod and 1.0 mm cold rolled coil (CRC) were respectively RMB 3,963/mt ($629.1/mt) and RMB 4,741/mt ($752.5/mt), down RMB 121/mt ($19.2/mt) and RMB 66/mt ($10.5/mt), while the average price of 20 mm common medium plate was RMB 4,233/mt ($671.9/mt), up RMB 70/mt ($11.1/mt) compared to February. The prices in question rose by 4.5 percent, 2.6 and 12.5 percent year on year, respectively.