China reduced steel output by 3% y/y in 1H2026

In January–June 2026, China reduced its steel output by 3% year-on-year – to 499.95 million tonnes. This was reported by SteelOrbis, citing the country’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Pig iron production in the first half of the year fell by 2.8% year-on-year – to 426.64 million tonnes, whilst rolled steel production fell by 0.9% year-on-year – to 718.78 million tonnes.

In June this year alone, steel output in China stood at 83.67 million tonnes, up 0.4 per cent year-on-year. Compared with May, the figure fell by 0.8%.

Pig iron production for the month stood at 71.99 million tonnes, down 0.9% year-on-year and 1.3% compared with the previous month. Rolled steel output in June reached 126.56 million tonnes, remaining stable compared with the same period in 2025; compared with May, the figure rose by 2.9%.

It should be noted that in the first half of 2026, China reduced its steel exports by 5.6% year-on-year – to 54.87 million tonnes. In June alone, the figure stood at 10.32 million tonnes, down 0.2% on the previous month, though it rose by 6.6% year-on-year. The average price of these exports for the period was $710.8 per tonne.

As reported by GMK Center, steel production in China fell below the 1 bn t mark in 2025, reaching its lowest level since 2018. Last year, the country produced 960.8 million tonnes of steel, 4.4% less than in 2024. The decline was a consequence of the protracted crisis in the property market, which significantly curbed domestic demand for steel products.