Latest Update in the SMM Pig Iron Market

Domestic Iron Ore Brief: Tangshan Region May Fluctuate Downward The Tangshan iron concentrate market remains mostly stable, with the delivered price of 66-grade dry basis including tax at 970-980 yuan/mt. Buyers and sellers are mostly in a wait-and-see mode, with only a few traders cautiously offering prices. Currently, it is understood that the willingness to sell selected products in many areas is not strong.

Today, Dalian iron ore fluctuated upward throughout the day. The most-traded I2505 contract finally closed at 779, rising slightly by 1.17% for the day. Traders followed the market trend to sell goods, while steel mills remained cautious with fewer inquiries.

[SMM Rebar Daily Review: EAF Steel Mill Annual Shutdown Basically Confirmed, Spot Market Prices Remain Stable] Today, rebar futures fluctuated rangebound, closing at 3,309 points, up 0.39%. Spot market sentiment was moderate, with prices remaining relatively stable throughout the day. Market inquiries were average, and overall transactions were lower than yesterday...

[SMM Operating Rate of Steel Mills Using Externally Purchased Billets] According to the SMM survey, as of December 31, the operating rate of steel mills using externally purchased billets, which mainly produce construction materials, was 25.29%, down 0.92 percentage points MoM compared to November and up 2.93 percentage points YoY.

The steel scrap purchase price adjustment of Anyang Iron & Steel in Henan has been updated today. If needed, feel free to contact us!

[SMM Survey: Significant Increase in Blast Furnace Maintenance in December, Pig Iron Production Expected to Rebound After Hitting Bottom in January] According to tracking data from the SMM survey, 38 blast furnaces underwent maintenance in December, resulting in a daily pig iron reduction of 163,500 mt. The maintenance activities were mainly concentrated in north China, east China, and central China. Meanwhile, 24 blast furnaces resumed production, increasing daily pig iron production by 102,000 mt. The regions where blast furnaces resumed production largely overlapped with those undergoing maintenance. The impact from blast furnace maintenance significantly increased in December. SMM data shows that blast furnace maintenance in December led to a net reduction of 7.7815 million mt in pig iron production, up 1.8432 million mt from November. The average daily pig iron production decreased by approximately 60,000 mt. Pig iron production in January is expected to improve MoM from December, but the rebound is likely to be limited. ......

[SMM Analysis: Stainless Steel Knowledge Popularization] To understand what stainless steel is, one should first understand what "steel" is. We can try to form a word with the character "steel," and I believe 99% of people would think of the same word—steel and iron. This clearly shows the close relationship between steel and iron. Many people might think these two are the same material, but in fact, there are significant differences between them in various aspects...

[SMM Stainless Steel Spot Daily Review: Futures Opened Higher, Spot Support Insufficient] On December 31, stainless steel futures prices opened up 125 yuan MoM. However, as stainless steel mill guidance prices were lowered again in recent days, spot prices continued to operate at low levels...