Posted on 10 Oct 2025
Inventories of the five major carbon steel products held by the Chinese steel mills sampled in Mysteel's regular survey moved up during the just-passed long break over October 1-8 for the country's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, as steel transactions in the physical market slowed with most traders and end-users leaving the market for holiday celebrations.
As of October 8, total stocks of the five steel items comprising rebar, wire rod, hot-rolled coil (HRC), cold-rolled coil (CRC) and medium plate among the sampled steelmakers registered 4.73 million tonnes, posting a significant rise of 14.2% from the end of September.
Inventories of all five major steel products at mills accumulated by varying degrees, according to the tracking data. Notably, mills' stocks of wire rod and rebar swelled by 33.7% and 21%, respectively, from their pre-holiday levels.
During the eight-day holiday, inventories of the same steel products at warehouses in the 132 Chinese cities tracked by Mysteel also increased, with the total tonnage registering 18.1 million tonnes as of October 8, up by 5.7% compared with the end of September, the survey results showed.
However, China's finished steel output declined slightly during the holiday, as some steel mills conducted maintenance on their steelmaking facilities. Mysteel's latest survey showed that over October 1-8, the total production of the five major steel items among the sampled mills came in at 8.63 million tonnes, inching down by 0.4% from the prior survey period.
China's steel prices posted weak performance before the holiday break. On September 30, the national average price of HRB400E 20mm dia rebar slid by Yuan 46/tonne ($6.5/t) on week to sit at Yuan 3,261/t, while that of Q235 4.75mm HRC also declined by Yuan 42/t on week to Yuan 3,398/t, both including the 13% VAT, according to Mysteel's assessments.
Domestic prices of major steel products remained stable overall amid the relatively quiet market during the long holiday. Many market participants held a cautious attitude toward steel prices after the holiday, as pre-holiday replenishments from end-users failed to meet market expectations.
Source:Mysteel Global
