The latest data from the General Administration of Customs showed that in February 2026, China exported 4.63 million mt of steel sheets & plates, down 12.6% YoY; cumulative exports for January and February totaled 9.33 million mt, down 14.5% YoY. In February, China exported 1.19 million mt of steel bars, down 7.7% YoY; cumulative exports for January and February totaled 2.32 million mt, down 5.9% YoY.

【SMM Steel】Ukraine extended AD duties on steel bars from Belarus and Moldova for five years. Rates: Belarus 47.31-79.27%, Moldova 13.8-35.37%. It also expanded curbs to include Malaysian coated carbon steel flats. An investigation found Chinese producers used fake Malaysian certificates to bypass duties. The 30.76-48.14% AD rates on China now apply to Malaysia. Officials say this protects domestic output and jobs per WTO rules.

[Xining's 10,000-mt-scale Waste Lithium-ion Battery Processing Project Lands] Recently, the People's Government of Datong Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Xining City, Qinghai Province, released the second public consultation information on the environmental impact report for the "Comprehensive Utilization Project (Phase II) for Hazardous and Solid Waste from Electrolytic Aluminum Production by Qinghai Haiding Group Qinghai Dingneng Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd." The advancement of this project holds significant importance for local resource recycling and ecological environmental protection. The project is located on the north side of Qingping Road in Beichuan Industrial Park, Datong County, Xining City, with an investment of 220 million yuan. Upon completion, it will achieve an annual processing capacity of 80,000 mt of overhaul slag and 20,000 mt of carbon slag, producing 3,108 mt of industrial-grade lithium carbonate, 2,124 mt of potassium chloride, 8,934 mt of sodium chloride, 9,796 mt of sulfate mixtures (a mixture of sodium sulphate and potassium sulphate), 17,928 mt of dry impermeable materials, 2,084 mt of magnesium fluoride, 26,214 mt of graphite powder, 30,840 mt of regenerated electrolyte, and 8,000 mt of steel bars annually.

Since the beginning of this year, significant progress has been made in major projects, with project funds being rapidly allocated. In Q1, infrastructure investment grew by 5.8%, an increase of 1.4 percentage points compared to the previous year. Recently, provinces such as Zhejiang and Hubei have seen a concentrated commencement of provincial-level major projects in Q2. From the perspective of project investment direction, industrial projects and new quality productive forces are clearly prioritized. Experts stated that, currently, in the face of a complex international environment, investment remains the "main force" in "supporting" China's economy. Entering Q2, with the acceleration of project construction and fund allocation, investment is expected to further...

According to the statistics released by the World Steel Association, Thailand's crude steel production in 2024 was 4.918 million mt, down 1.17 YoY, ranking 27th in the world and fourth among ASEAN countries, following Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia...

[Environmental Impact Assessment Approval for Stainless Steel Pipes and Processed Parts] On March 11, 2025, the Songyang Branch of the Lishui Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment approved and announced the environmental impact assessment for the project of Zhejiang Jugang Special Materials Group Co., Ltd. The project plans to invest 453 million yuan to purchase two plots of land in the Chishou Industrial Zone of Songyang County, with a total area of 108,000㎡. It will involve the construction of new production workshops, warehouses, and office buildings, equipped with cold rolling pipe machines and other equipment. Using stainless steel bars and rough pipes as raw materials, the project will adopt processes such as cold rolling and cold drawing to achieve an annual output of 160,000 mt of nickel-based alloy special stainless steel thick-walled pipes and 100,000 sets of high-precision nickel-based alloy sealing components.

The January Loan Prime Rate (LPR) was released: the LPR for over 5 years was 3.6%, unchanged from last month. The 1-year LPR was 3.1%, also unchanged from last month.

2025 is expected to be an explosive year in the solar industry as the world ramps up its efforts toward renewable energy. With the sector being at an edge in terms of cost and environmental friendliness, solar energy has gained a strong foothold as the anchor for global de-carbonization.

[SMM Steel] Hangzhou building materials on the 12th: the mainstream quotation of resources in the spot market rose by 30 in the morning session, with Zhongtian ribbed steel bars priced at 3650 and Zhongtian coil bars at 3880. For detailed quotes of various brands in Hangzhou, please log in to the SMM official website: https://steel.smm.cn/steel/020?city=2, for free access.

On September 19, the total inventory of threaded steel bars nationwide was 4.3369 million tons, 253,200 tons less than last week, down 5.52% from the previous week and 29.02% year-on-year; the total inventory of wire rods nationwide was 1.2425 million tons, 41,400 tons more than last week, up 3.45% from the previous week and 18.21% year-on-year.