In the January-September period of the current year, China’s crude steel output amounted to 699.42 million mt, up 6.1 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 821.01 million mt and 22.89 million mt, up 7.2 percent and 3.0 percent year on year, respectively, while China’s overall output of metallurgical coke totaled 322.91 million mt, down 2.3 percent year on year. Meanwhile, in the given period China’s finished steel exports amounted to 53.08 million mt, down 10.7 percent, while its finished steel imports totaled 9.97 million mt, decreasing by 0.4 percent, both year on year.
As also indicated by the NDRC, in September this year China's average composite steel price index issued by the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) was at 121.96 points, up 1.41 points compared to August and rising by 5.54 points year on year. In particular, in September of the current year, the average prices of 6.5 mm high-speed wire rod, 20 mm common medium plate and 1.0 mm cold rolled coil (CRC) were respectively RMB 4,568/mt ($660.1/mt), RMB 4,513/mt ($652.2/mt) and RMB 4,510/mt ($651.7/mt), up RMB 95/mt ($13.7/mt), RMB 36/mt ($5.2/mt) and down RMB 353/mt ($51.0/mt), all compared to August. The prices in question rose by 7.9 percent, 9.4 and down 5.7 percent on year-on-year basis, respectively.