East China

During the past week (December 30-January 3), steel prices in East China experienced slight declines. As of January 3, the East China Steel Price Index stood at 3,873 yuan, down 10 yuan compared to the previous Friday. In terms of sales performance, construction steel saw a slight increase in volume, while sales of hot-rolled coil and medium-thick plate decreased slightly. With the year-end approaching, market activity remained moderate, and traders focused on cash flow recovery, offering slight price concessions during actual transactions. This week (January 6-10), steel prices in East China are expected to drop by 10-30 yuan/ton, with a projected decline of 10-50 yuan/ton for January overall.

North & Northeast China

Last week (December 30-January 3), steel prices in North China generally fluctuated downward, with only cold-rolled coil prices showing mainstream increases. Market activity weakened further. The region has now entered its off-season, leading to sluggish transactions, and traders are primarily focused on offloading inventory. This week (January 6-10), steel prices in North China are expected to continue fluctuating downward by 10-30 yuan/ton, while January overall may see slight increases of 0-50 yuan/ton.

Central, Southern, and Western China

During the past week (December 30-January 3), steel prices in Central and Western China showed an overall downward trend. On one hand, more steel mills in these regions have begun to reduce production or conduct maintenance, leading to lower supply. On the other hand, traders’ expectations remain weak, with limited willingness to stock up for winter, creating a situation of weak supply and demand. This week (January 6-10), the prices of major steel products in Central and Western China are expected to decline slightly by 0-30 yuan/ton, with January prices projected to fluctuate downward by 0-50 yuan/ton