China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed varying levels of production of various steel products in the period from January to May 2025. Long steel products declined, while flat steel production increased.
In May alone, China produced:
Rebar: 16.884 million tons (down 6% year-on-year)
wire rod: 12.016 million tons (down 1.2%)
Welded pipe: 5.463 million tons (down 1.4%)
Hot rolled coil (HRC) : 18.866 million tons (down 1.3%)
Cold rolled coil (CRC) ): 4.11 million tons (up 5.2%)
In terms of prices, the Chinese domestic market experienced significant fluctuations in May:
Rebar: The highest price was recorded on May 15 at 3,287 yuan/ton ($457), and the lowest price was recorded on May 31 at 3,153 yuan/ton ($438).
Hot-rolled coil (HRC): The highest price reached 3,480 yuan/ton ($483) on May 15, and the lowest price reached 3,360 yuan/ton ($467) at the end of the month.
From January to May 2025, production was as follows:
Rebar: 82.283 million tons (down 1.6%) year-on-year
Hot rolled coil (HRC) : 94.694 million tons (up 4.8%)
Cold rolled coil (CRC) : 20.057 million tons (up 6.9%)
wire rod: 56.193 million tons (up 2.3%)
Welded pipe: 23.922 million tons (up 4.2%)
These data show significant shifts in demand and production within the Chinese steel sector, with a continued focus on higher-value-added products, while a slight decline in core products such as rebar occurred.
