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Try the Free AI Search EngineAsia Steel Market: Stable Activity Amidst Shifting US Export Dynamics
Asia’s steel market demonstrates stable plant activity, even as US export figures show some decline. No direct links are apparent between the Asian steel plant activities and the U.S. export trends described in “US HRC exports down 3.6 percent in June 2025,” “US CRC exports down 0.7 percent in June 2025,” “US exports of plates in coil up 3.3 percent in June 2025” and “US hot rolled bar exports down 1.6 percent in June 2025“, suggesting that the Asian steel market is currently decoupled from the changes in U.S. export patterns.
The average steel plant activity in Asia fluctuated, peaking in May at 43% and then dropping back to 35% by August. Shandong Taishan Steel Group Co., Ltd. shows a consistently low activity level, reaching a high of only 19% in June and dropping to 17% in August, remaining significantly below the Asian average. In contrast, Tata Steel BSL Dhenkanal plant maintained a high and relatively stable activity level, ranging from 65% to 67% over the observed period, consistently exceeding the Asian average. Guangxi Beigang New Material Co., Ltd. showed a slightly declining trend from March to June, with a noticeable drop to 32% and a recovery to 38% in August.
Shandong Taishan Steel Group Co., Ltd., an integrated BF steel plant in Shandong with a crude steel capacity of 5000 TTPA and key products including hot rolled coil and cold rolled coil, operated at consistently low activity levels (14-19%) compared to the regional average. While the company possesses ResponsibleSteel certification, its production activity has remained subdued. There is no direct link between this activity and the US export trends outlined in “US HRC exports down 3.6 percent in June 2025,” “US CRC exports down 0.7 percent in June 2025,” “US exports of plates in coil up 3.3 percent in June 2025” and “US hot rolled bar exports down 1.6 percent in June 2025“.
Tata Steel BSL Dhenkanal plant, an integrated BF and DRI plant in Odisha with a crude steel capacity of 5600 TTPA and produces hot rolled coil, pipe, and sheet, maintained a consistently high activity level (65-67%). This level is significantly above the average Asian production activity. The facility includes a DRI plant and CONARC EAF, suggesting a focus on both BF and DRI-based steelmaking. There is no direct link between this activity and the US export trends outlined in “US HRC exports down 3.6 percent in June 2025,” “US CRC exports down 0.7 percent in June 2025,” “US exports of plates in coil up 3.3 percent in June 2025” and “US hot rolled bar exports down 1.6 percent in June 2025“.
Guangxi Beigang New Material Co., Ltd., an integrated BF steel plant in Guangxi with a crude steel capacity of 3400 TTPA, produces cold rolled coil, hot rolled coil and other products. Its activity saw a decline from 39% in March to 32% in June, recovering to 38% in August. This fluctuation does not correlate directly with the U.S. export trends in the provided news articles “US HRC exports down 3.6 percent in June 2025,” “US CRC exports down 0.7 percent in June 2025,” “US exports of plates in coil up 3.3 percent in June 2025” and “US hot rolled bar exports down 1.6 percent in June 2025“.
Given the stable activity at Tata Steel BSL Dhenkanal plant in India, steel buyers can consider securing supply contracts with this producer to mitigate potential disruptions elsewhere in the Asian market. The comparatively low activity levels at Shandong Taishan Steel Group do not currently suggest a significant supply disruption on their own, but should be monitored, and alternative suppliers should be identified, especially for buyers reliant on their hot rolled coil and cold rolled coil products.