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Asia Steel Market Downturn: Trade Tensions Impact Production, Monitor Key Plant Activity

Asia’s steel market faces a downturn amidst international trade tensions. Observed changes in steel plant activity may reflect these pressures, however, there is no direct evidence linking plant activity to the news article Handelsstreit: China setzt Exportverbot für wichtige Chipmetalle gegenüber den USA aus. Similarly, activity levels could not be connected to either Zollstreit Schweiz-USA: Neue Details zum Treffen mit Donald Trump, or Copper Tariffs Not Safeguard Measures: US To WTO; Rejects India’s Move To Suspend Concessions.

Bar chart and satellite map of steel production activity in Asia

Overall, the mean steel plant activity in Asia shows a decreasing trend from August (40%) to October (23%).

Nanyang Hanye Special Steel Co., Ltd., located in Henan, China, operates as an integrated BF-BOF steel plant with a crude steel capacity of 2.588 million tonnes. The plant produces medium-thick, special, and extra-thick steel plates. Activity at Nanyang Hanye peaked in September at 82%, significantly above the Asian average, before data collection ceased in October. The high activity level until September doesn’t explicitly correlate with any of the provided news articles.

JSW Steel Dolvi steel plant, situated in Maharashtra, India, utilizes both BF and DRI processes with a crude steel capacity of 5 million tonnes, producing wire rod, cold and hot rolled steel, bars, and specialty steel. JSW Dolvi’s activity shows a fluctuation, ranging from 53% in June, dropping to 44% in August, and rising to 51% in October. These fluctuations cannot be explicitly linked to any of the provided news articles.

Xinyu Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd., based in Jiangxi, China, operates as an integrated BF-BOF steel plant with a large 10 million tonnes crude steel capacity. The plant produces medium, thick, and extra-thick plates, as well as hot and cold-rolled thin plates. The plant’s activity has remained consistently low, between 12% and 14% from June to October. These low activity levels cannot be explicitly linked to any of the provided news articles.

The observed decline in average Asian steel plant activity, combined with ongoing trade tensions, suggests potential supply chain disruptions. The sharp drop in mean activity in October warrants close monitoring.

Recommended Procurement Actions:

  • Monitor JSW Steel Dolvi closely: The fluctuations in activity at JSW Steel Dolvi, combined with a lack of direct links to the news, increase the need for constant monitoring. Buyers relying on JSW Steel Dolvi should explore alternative suppliers.
  • Assess geopolitical risks for Nanyang Hanye: Given Nanyang Hanye’s significant activity and location in China, assess the potential for disruption related to the trade conflict between China and the US. Diversify sourcing to mitigate risk if heavily reliant on this plant.