China recorded a significant decline in the production of pig iron, crude steel, and finished steel products in October, with output reaching 65.55 million mt, 72 million mt, and 118.64 million mt respectively. These decreases represent year-on-year drops of 7.9%, 12.1%, and 0.9%, in addition to month-on-month declines ranging between 0.76% and 4.5%, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.
Unlike the usual trend for October — typically a strong month for demand — production this year posted its weakest performance since 2021. Monthly crude steel output once again fell below the 80-million-mt threshold, as was the case in July, August, and September, with a 2% decrease compared to September.
The decline was influenced by production cuts implemented by major cities in Hebei Province between October 27 and 31 as part of a level-two emergency response to pollution, alongside weak domestic demand and the impact of the extended National Day holiday at the beginning of the month.
During the first ten months of the year, China produced 711.37 million mt of pig iron, 817.87 million mt of crude steel, and 1.21759 billion mt of finished steel products, marking a year-on-year decrease of 1.8% and 3.9% for pig iron and crude steel, and a 4.7% increase for finished steel products.
