During the past week ending December 15, average Chinese domestic rebar and wire rod prices have moved down amid declining rebar futures prices and new export regulations for 300 steel product items.
The average rebar price has decreased by RMB 37/mt ($5.2/mt) compared to December 8, while the average 6.5 mm HPB 300 wire rod price has declined by RMB 43/mt ($6.1/mt). Rebar prices have decreased by RMB 4/mt ($0.6/mt) compared to the previous trading day, December 12.
On December 12, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) and customs authorities jointly announced the new export regulations implementing an export license quota on 300 items of steel products, covering pig iron, scrap, semi-finished steel, flat steel, bar, section steel, wire rod, and steel pipe, etc., effective as of January 1, 2026. Exporters will now have to apply for licenses for all these products, so some materials may remain inside the country during the transition period. The new export regulations may negatively affect the steel market in the future, though more time will be needed to observe their actual impact.
During the given week, rebar and wire rod prices in the Chinese domestic market have declined amid slack demand from downstream users. Meanwhile, decreasing prices of raw materials, including coking coal, coke and iron ore, have weakened the support for rebar and wire rod prices from the cost side. Tangshan and Handan in Hebei Province decided to initiate a level II emergency response as of 12:00 on December 14, aiming to alleviate pollution, which may bolster rebar and wire rod prices to a certain degree due to anticipated decreases in output. However, it is expected that rebar and wire rod prices in the Chinese domestic market may soften in the coming week as supply will still exceed demand.
As of December 15, rebar futures at Shanghai Futures Exchange are standing at RMB 3,074/mt ($441/mt), decreasing by RMB 49/mt ($6.9/mt) or 1.6 percent since December 8, while up 0.13 percent compared to the previous trading day, December 12.
Average domestic rebar and wire rod prices in China's main markets are presented in the tables below.
Rebar prices in local markets
| Spec. (mm) - Category | City | Price (RMB/mt) | Price ($/mt) |
Weekly change (RMB/mt) |
Weekly change ($/mt) |
| 25 - HRB400 | Beijing | 3130 | 443.0 | -50 | -6.4 |
| Guangzhou | 3490 | 493.9 | -50 | -6.4 | |
| Shanghai | 3200 | 452.9 | -10 | -0.8 | |
| Average price | 3273.3 | 463.3 | -37 | -4.5 |
All prices include 13 percent VAT and all prices are ex-warehouse.
Wire rod prices in local market
| Spec. (mm) - Category | City | Price (RMB/mt) |
Price ($/mt) | Weekly change (RMB/mt) |
Weekly change ($/mt) |
| 6.5 - HPB300 | Beijing | 3,620 | 512.3 | -70 | -9.2 |
| Guangzhou | 3,800 | 537.8 | -50 | -6.3 | |
| Shanghai | 3,670 | 519.4 | -10 | -0.7 | |
| Average price | 3,696.7 | 523.2 | -43 | -5.4 | |
| 8 - HPB300 | Beijing | 3,400 | 481.2 | -70 | -9.2 |
| Guangzhou | 3,740 | 529.3 | -50 | -6.3 | |
| Shanghai | 3,430 | 485.4 | -10 | -0.7 | |
| Average price | 3,523.3 | 498.6 | -43 | -5.4 |
All prices include 13 percent VAT and all prices are ex-warehouse.
$1 = RMB 7.0656
