Posted on 19 Sep 2025
Crude steel production among China's top ten steelmaking provinces and autonomous regions fell by 3.2% on year to total 482.5 million tonnes during this year's January-August period, according to the latest data released by the country's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
During August alone, crude steel output among the country's top ten regions was mixed again, with the top five regions all posting on-year decreases. Of these, North China's Hebei province, the country's largest steel production base, saw an on-year fall of 3.9% last month, reversing the 5.8% on-year increase recorded in July.
Total August production in the ten regions reached 54 million tonnes, down by 2.3% from August 2024, the NBS data indicated, a slightly better result than the 3.4% on-year fall in July.
The NBS provides no commentary with its data, but the most likely reason for the overall fall in August production was the production curbs imposed by local governments on steel mills and coking plants in north China in late August to ensure good air quality ahead of the commemorative activity in Beijing on September 3. Three of the top five regions – Hebei, Shandong and Shanxi – were within the scope of the government-mandated sanctions, Mysteel Global notes.
Indeed, crude steel output during August in Hebei – the province hosting China's largest steel production base, Tangshan City – reached 14.3 million tonnes, lower by a huge 13.4% from July's 16.52 million tonnes. Tangshan is located only 150 kms east of Beijing and is often criticised for atmospheric pollution over the capital.
Despite the general reduction in output at steel mills in North China, many mills in other parts of China that were unaffected by the restrictions lifted their output last month, the NBS numbers show. Crude steel output in Guangdong, Fujian, Hubei and Anhui provinces during August jumped by 13.5%, 12.9%, 8% and 6.4% respectively [see table-2].
In addition, capacity utilization among the 247 blast-furnace mills nationwide under Mysteel's tracking by end-August averaged 90.02%, lower by only 0.22% on month. Perhaps not coincidentally, among the 247 Chinese blast furnace mills regularly surveyed by Mysteel, a large 63.6% of them – 157 mills – said that they had managed to make a profit when selling their steel in August, unchanged from end-July but still a relatively high ratio.
However, other Mysteel data show that steel mills' profits came under a little pressure during August, with China's national price of HRB400E 20mm dia rebar averaging Yuan 3,326/tonne ($467.8/t) including the 13% VAT by end-August, down by Yuan 81/t or 2.4% from the end of July, according to Mysteel's assessment.
Source:Mysteel Global
