Editor: Lena
The output of steel is increasing steadily.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the national output of pig iron, crude steel, and steel in the first half of the year was 432.68 million tons, 49.91 million tons and 605.84 million tons, respectively, up 2.2%, 1.4% and 2.7% year-on-year.
Steel exports continued to decline and imports increased substantially.
According to data from the General Administration of Customs, in the first half of the year, the country’s cumulative steel exports totaled 28.704 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 16.5%; the cumulative imports of steel products totaled 7.343 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 26.1%.
Steel prices continued to rise.
According to the monitoring of the China Iron and Steel Association, as of the end of June, China's steel composite price index had rebounded to 102.69 points, an increase of 1.7% from the end of May and a decrease of 3.4% from the beginning of the year, and the rate of decline continued to narrow.
Fourth, the profitability of enterprises has declined year-on-year.
In the first half of the month, China Iron and Steel Association member steel companies achieved sales revenue of 2.09 trillion yuan, an increase of 1.18% year-on-year; realized profits of 68.67 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 36.4%, and the rate of decline continued to narrow; sales profit rate was 3.29%, a year-on-year decrease of 1.93 Percentage points.
Steel inventory continued to decline.
The social inventory of five steel products (rebar, wire rod, hot rolled coil, cold rolled coil, and plate) in major cities across the country fell to 12.16 million tons at the end of June. Compared with the end of March, the social inventory fell by 36.2%.
The price of imported ore continues to rise.
According to data from the General Administration of Customs, the national iron ore import volume in the first half of the year was 546.91 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 9.6%. In June, the average price of imported fine ore (62% grade) was US$100.77/ton, a month-on-month increase of US$9.2/ton, an increase of 10.0%.