Radio France Internationale (RFI) Chinese Edition recently reported that China’s steel output fell more than 10 percent in August from a year earlier. The fall was due to low steel prices and a slump in demand. China’s steel industry, which is the largest in the world, has not seen such low levels of output since 2017.
Major supplier China’s Baowu Steel Group warned that the situation may become increasingly dire. As Chinese steel mills’ losses continue to grow for every ton of steel they produce, more and more mills are choosing to shut down their furnaces. According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, Crude steel production fell to 77.9 million tons in August, down 10.4 percent year-over-year.
The country’s decline in demand for steel comes after more than two decades of rapid industrialization and urbanization. Demand has been affected by a continuing slump in construction activity in China this year, especially during the summer. China’s economic woes, from a battered real estate market to weakening consumer confidence, are also weighing on the demand.
Source: RFI Chinese, September 14, 2024
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