War damage to Iran’s key steel mills threatens ~14 Mt of capacity, sharply reducing crude steel output and exportable supply. While domestic demand remains relatively stable, energy shortages and logistics disruptions amplify losses, tightening regional supply, supporting semi-finished steel prices, and reshaping trade flows.

【SMM Steel】Romanian investor UMB Steel received approval from the Competition Council to acquire ArcelorMittal Hunedoara's production assets for €12.5m, expanding its domestic steel presence. The deal covers the plant's industrial assets and related land. Market participants see it as a typical distressed asset acquisition, as the Hunedoara facility has been idle since Sep 2025 due to high energy costs and weak demand.

[SMM Steel] Vietnam’s construction steel prices remained stable at 14,700–15,430 VND/kg on April 13, with Hoa Phat Group holding CB240 and D10 CB300 at 15,430 VND/kg, while other mills maintained unchanged offers. Trading remained cautious with balanced supply-demand. Meanwhile, rebar futures in Shanghai fell 0.5% to 3,055 yuan/t, reflecting weaker demand expectations. Iron ore showed mixed trends, with Dalian prices steady at 776 yuan/t and Singapore prices slightly up to $104/t. In the short term, stable domestic prices contrast with softer regional sentiment, indicating cautious buying and limited upside momentum.

India recorded a 15% year-on-year decline in its exports of iron ore and pellets during the 2025-26 fiscal year, dropping to 25.78 million tons. This reduction was primarily caused by a decline in global iron ore prices, increased discounts on lower-grade fine ore in the seaborne market, and weaker demand from overseas steel producers. Concurrently, domestic absorption of raw materials increased significantly as India's crude steel production grew by 11%, leading to higher local sales prices for iron ore.

According to the draft National Steel Policy 2025, India plans to aggressively expand its steel production capacity to 400 million tons by the 2035-36 fiscal year, requiring approximately $183.41 billion in capital investments. The policy heavily focuses on decarbonization and raw material independence, aiming to reduce reliance on imported coking coal to 80% from the current 90%. Furthermore, the government intends to lower average steel mill emissions to 2 tons of carbon dioxide per ton of rolled steel, promoting gas-based production and scrap utilization.

[Yongsteel 2026 Period 4-2 Carbon Steel Price Adjustment] Yongsteel 2026 Period 4-2 construction steel price adjustment: rebar and wire rod both remained stable. Current prices were rebar at 3,450 yuan/mt, plain wire rod at 3,700 yuan/mt, and coiled rebar at 3,700 yuan/mt. Compared with Period 4-1, rebar received a supplement of 200 yuan/mt and wire rod a supplement of 270 yuan/mt. The electronic bank acceptance monthly discount rates for this period were 1.19‰ for Category I and II banks, 1.29‰ for provincial city commercial banks, and 1.49‰ for Category III and IV banks. [SMM Steel]