CISA member mills lower crude steel, hot metal production in mid-May
Published by:Jessica Zong<>
23 May 2025 @ 10:14 UTC

Member mills at the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) lowered their production rates of crude steel and hot metal slightly in mid-May, according to a notice released by the industry body on Friday May 23.Market participants were bearish toward crude steel production in June due to weakness in steel demand, sources said.
A northeast China based mill plans to place a blast furnace on maintenance in June, which will lead to a reduction of 6,700 tonnes per day in hot metal production, according to a local industry information provider.
The negative outlook toward production also weighed on steel raw materials prices, sources told Fastmarkets.
Fastmarkets’ calculations of iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao was at $99.58 per tonne on May 22, down by $3.16 per tonne from the month-to-date high of $102.74 per tonne on May 14.
Output for May 11-20 (compared with May 1-10) Crude steel:2.20 million tonnes per day, down by 0.3% Hot metal:1.98 million tpd, down by 0.4% Finished steel:2.12 million tpd, up by 1.9%
Mill finished steel inventories 16.35 million tonnes, up by 290,000 tonnes, or 1.8%.
Spot market steel inventories Hot-rolled coil:1.79 million tonnes, down by 70,000 tonnes, or 3.8% Cold-rolled coil:1.25 million tonnes, up by 10,000 tonnes, or 0.8% Plate:880,000 tonnes, up by 30,000 tonnes, or 3.5% Wire rod:760,000 tonnes, up by 30,000 tonnes, or 4.1% Rebar:3.65 million tonnes, down by 170,000 tonnes, or 4.5% Total (all five major products):8.33 million tonnes, down by 170,000 tonnes, or 2%.
More than 80% of China’s steelmakers are members of CISA.