Environmental inspections in China restricting production led to slight increase in HRC prices
China's production restrictions and the authority's promise to stimulate domestic demand have led to a rise in the price of hot-rolled coil (HRC) in the Chinese and Asian markets.
Recently, the Chinese government launched routine environmental inspections in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei provinces, as well as related central enterprises, for a period of approximately one month. This implementation may cause enterprises failing to meet environmental standards to limit or even halt production, reducing supply to the market in the short term and providing some support for the price trend.
Meanwhile, the Chinese authorities have pledged to implement a better supply and demand balance to stimulate consumption. However, while export prices from China have risen, buyers remain cautious. Market participants believe that prices are mainly influenced by sentiment, and actual demand has not yet recovered.