China’s manufacturing steel consumption stayed above year ago levels in July, as robust exports from key steel-using sectors offset persistently weak domestic demand, official data showed.
The manufacturing production index of steel consumption produced by Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, stood at 135 points for July, down 29 points from June due to seasonal factors, but still 15 points stronger than a year earlier.
The index tracks production data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics for 18 steel-intensive manufactured goods across seven sectors, weighted by their steel consumption share, with the 2018 monthly average as the baseline of 100.
Production in machinery, shipbuilding, home appliances, containers and railway equipment increased year over year in July, while automobile and power generation equipment output declined from the same period in 2025, according to the latest NBS data
