Important News in The Steel Market This Week

1,Success in the "ultra-thin" challenge of 1.46mm! Xinyu Iron and Steel achieves full coverage of container coil thickness specifications

Around October 2025, the Hot Rolling Operation Area of the Silicon Steel Sheet Business Unit of Xinyu Iron and Steel Group successfully rolled 1.46mm "ultra-thin" specification container coils. This marks that Xinyu's 1580 hot rolling line has broken through the minimum specification of the production line, realizing full coverage of container coil thickness specifications and achieving new progress in the optimization of product structure.

2,Steel exports in September approached the annual high, reaching 10.465 million tons, with a month-on-month increase of 10% and a year-on-year increase of 3%

Data released by the General Administration of Customs on October 13 showed that China's steel exports in September 2025 reached 10.465 million tons, an increase of 955,000 tons from the previous month, up 10.0% month-on-month and 3% year-on-year. From January to September, the cumulative steel exports amounted to 87.955 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 9.2%.

3,In the past two months, the price of color-coated steel has dropped by 200 yuan/ton

Hot-rolled coils have fluctuated around 3,300 points, with the intraday low hitting 3,252 points today, the lowest in the past two months. Shougang Changzhi Iron and Steel lowered the ex-factory price of construction steel (coiled rebar and deformed steel bar) by 30 yuan/ton.

1, Both the BDI Index and European route container shipping rates show an upward trend

(Note: BDI Index refers to the Baltic Dry Index, a key indicator reflecting the changes in global dry bulk shipping costs.)

The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) - a key barometer of global dry bulk shipping costs - has shown a continuous upward trend in recent weeks. This increase indicates rising global demand for raw material transportation, including iron ore, coal, and steel products, alongside tightened vessel supply in major trade routes.

Similarly, European container shipping rates have also climbed steadily, reflecting the growing volume of exports from Asia and seasonal logistics congestion before the year-end holidays. Analysts suggest that freight rates on popular routes such as Asia–Europe and Asia–Middle East could remain high through Q4 2025, driven by increased container demand and limited port capacity.

For international steel buyers and trading partners, this trend means that logistics and freight costs are likely to stay elevated in the short term. PROMISTEEL advises our global clients to plan shipments, coordinate delivery schedules, and lock in freight rates early to mitigate potential cost fluctuations.

At PROMISTEEL, we continuously monitor international logistics and shipping market dynamics to help our customers secure stable delivery timelines and cost-effective transportation solutions. Our long-term partnerships with reliable freight forwarders ensure that we can offer competitive options even in high-demand periods.

2,China Mineral Resources Group reportedly reaches an agreement with BHP for RMB settlement

According to media reports, China Mineral Resources Group has signed an agreement with Australian mining giant BHP Billiton (BHP) to implement RMB settlement for iron ore spot trading starting from the fourth quarter. This signifies that China has gained iron ore pricing power for the first time, which is expected to lower iron ore prices.

3,Severe congestion! Over 5,000 trucks queued up

The freight corridor between Kazakhstan and Russia has been trapped in severe congestion since mid-September, with as many as 7,500 freight trucks lining up. By the end of the National Day holiday (October 1-7 in China), there were still more than 5,000 trucks stuck in the queue, dealing a heavy blow to land transportation between Central Asia and Russia.

4 ,Trump announces a 100% tariff hike on Chinese goods, dealing a heavy blow to U.S. stocks

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that China has announced it will impose large-scale export controls on almost all products starting from November 1, 2025. In response, Trump announced that the United States will impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods starting from the same day, as an extra measure to the existing tariffs, and will implement export controls on all key software.