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Try the Free AI Search EngineAsia Steel Market: Angang Boosts Output Amidst US Export Decline
Asia’s steel market displays a positive outlook, marked by increased production in China while the US experiences export declines. The observed plant activity levels correlate with shifts in global trade dynamics, though no direct relationship could be established between observed Asian steel plant activity and the “US cold finished bar exports down 23.9 percent in April 2025“, “US cut-length plate imports down 14.3 percent in April 2025“, “US tin plate exports down 13.3 percent in April 2025“, “US plates in coil imports down 31.9 percent in April 2025“, “US structural pipe and tube exports down 5.9 percent in April 2025“, and “US mechanical tubing exports down 2.4 percent in April 2025“ articles.
The mean steel plant activity in Asia fluctuated between 38% and 43% from January to May 2025, before experiencing a sharp drop to 16% in July. Angang Steel Co., Ltd. Bayuquan branch consistently showed high activity, reaching 85% in June, significantly above the Asian mean. Chubu Steel Plate Nagoya plant demonstrated a clear upward trend, peaking at 66% in June. Nippon Kyushu Works (Yawata Area, Tobata) remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 34% and 40% before a decrease in July.
Nippon Kyushu Works (Yawata Area, Tobata) steel plant
Nippon Kyushu Works, an integrated BF-BOF plant in Kyūshū, Japan, boasts a crude steel capacity of 3.727 million tonnes per annum (ttpa). The plant’s activity remained relatively stable from January to June 2025, hovering between 35% and 40%. However, the plant’s activity decreased to 34% in July, which deviates from previously observed values. No direct relationship to the provided news articles could be established.
Chubu Steel Plate Nagoya plant
Chubu Steel Plate’s Nagoya plant, an electric arc furnace (EAF) facility in Chūbu, Japan, has a lower crude steel capacity of 700 ttpa, focusing on finished rolled plate products for automotive and infrastructure sectors. Its activity showed a consistent climb from 43% in January to 66% in June, indicating increased production. No direct relationship to the provided news articles could be established. The increase in activity may reflect a ramp-up in production following the planned ECOARC-FIT model EAF installation in 2023.
Angang Steel Co., Ltd. Bayuquan branch
Angang Steel’s Bayuquan branch in Liaoning, China, is a large-scale integrated BF-BOF plant with a crude steel capacity of 6.5 million ttpa. The plant’s activity was consistently high, increasing from 74% in January/February to 85% in June, significantly exceeding the Asian mean. This indicates robust production of container steel, pipeline steel, and ship plate. No direct relationship to the provided news articles could be established.
Evaluated Market Implications
The high and increasing activity at Angang Steel’s Bayuquan branch suggests a stable or increasing supply of steel from this source. While the “US cold finished bar exports down 23.9 percent in April 2025”, “US cut-length plate imports down 14.3 percent in April 2025”, “US tin plate exports down 13.3 percent in April 2025”, “US plates in coil imports down 31.9 percent in April 2025”, “US structural pipe and tube exports down 5.9 percent in April 2025”, and “US mechanical tubing exports down 2.4 percent in April 2025” articles highlight decreased US steel exports/imports, no direct connection to the observed increased production at Angang can be conclusively established based on the provided information. However, given the overall positive market sentiment and Angang’s strong output, procurement professionals sourcing container steel, pipeline steel, or ship plate should consider Angang Steel as a reliable supplier.
The recent drop in activity in July for Nippon Kyushu Works and the overall drop in mean Asian steel plant activity requires further monitoring. Procurement professionals should diversify supply sources to mitigate potential disruptions.