Latest Update in the SMM Finished Steel Market

Today, the DCE ore futures fluctuated rangebound, with a late-session plunge, and remained in the doldrums throughout the day. The most-traded contract I2509 closed at 699, down 1.76% for the day. Traders' willingness to sell was moderate, while steel mills' purchase willingness weakened as the weekend approached.

Today, iron ore futures fluctuated rangebound, with a late-session plunge, and remained in the doldrums throughout the day. The most-traded contract I2509 closed at 699, marking a 1.76% decline for the day. Traders' willingness to sell was moderate, while steel mills' purchase willingness weakened as the weekend approached.

SMM Rebar Daily Review: Tug-of-War Between Sellers and Buyers Remains Stalemated, Construction Steel Prices Stuck in Fluctuations. Today, futures fluctuated downward, closing at 3,076, down 0.81% from the previous trading day. Spot cargo, market sentiment remained cautious, overall prices were in the doldrums, with some regions reporting slight drops of 10-20 yuan/mt.

【Domestic Iron Ore Brief Review: Iron Ore Concentrates Prices in West Liaoning May Continue to Fluctuate Rangebound】The transaction volume in the domestic ore market in West Liaoning has improved, but the current prices have not shown significant improvement. The ex-factory price for 66-grade wet basis excluding tax is 700-710 yuan/mt. Some steel mills are about to set new prices, and traders believe there is considerable resistance to downward price movements locally. In the past two days, inquiries and restocking activities have increased, driving better transaction performance.

SMM Stainless Steel Spot Market Daily Review: Impact of US Tariffs Yet to Manifest, Downstream Stainless Steel Sector Remains Cautious and Watchful. On April 18, the SS futures prices showed a trend of initial rise followed by stabilization. At the beginning of the week, prices rose slightly, then entered a phase of overall fluctuation. Although the US tariff policy has eased, the market has not completely shaken off its impact, and cautious sentiment remains strong. Downstream customers have low purchasing intentions, with market transactions mainly consisting of low-priced warrant sources, and non-standard specifications are even more difficult to transact. Although there are signs of tentative price increases in the market, actual transaction conditions are not ideal. In the macro context. In the spot market, the cold-rolled 201/2B coil in Wuxi and Foshan is quoted at 8,300 yuan/mt; the cold-rolled trimmed 304/2B coil has an average price of 13,200 yuan/mt in Wuxi and 13,225 yuan/mt in Foshan. Currently, macro factors significantly outweigh fundamental factors in disturbing the stainless steel market. Against this backdrop, stainless steel practitioners have markedly divergent views on future market trends, and market expectations are highly uncertain. Although the actual impact of the US tariff policy has not yet fully manifested, the current stainless steel market is already facing real issues such as weakened cost support and insufficient consumer demand. As a result, the cautious and watchful sentiment in the market is unlikely to dissipate in the short term, and the price trend of stainless steel will remain deeply influenced by fluctuations in macro news.