China’s steel markets fell but then steadied in October. That is giving the market a useful moment to catch its breath and look at what is to come. With the Chinese economy slowing, Beijing refusing outright stimulus and developers looking at their cashflow, how concerned should the steel sector be …

Steel markets had a short panic in early September as production restrictions were looser than expected. These were then tightened ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on 1 October to ensure blue skies.

With economic sentiment souring and steel demand expected to …

After a strong H1, Chinese steel demand slumped in July and mills are now curtailing production as margins are squeezed. This has precipitated a sharp decline in iron ore and steel prices. But does this imply a collapse in H2, or will the seasonal recovery in October prevail? In this …

China’s steel output in the first half grew rapidly year-on-year, but revisions show that it is still only regaining historical highs. The growth in demand meanwhile has been driven increasingly by state spending as consumer demand falters.

This month we revise our forecasts for the year in light of the …