Weak End of Global Steel Market in the Second Half of December

Influenced by the volatility of the global financial market and the ruthless collapse of crude oil and other commodities, the international steel market in 2018 finally ended in a weak position. The exponential deduction shows that the international steel market which has risen for three consecutive years has not only risen first, but also declined in an all-round way, which has made the industry a big surprise! But is it a "declaration" that the global steel market has entered a cyclical adjustment or a traditional "bull-bear transition"? It may take time to consider. However, according to the operation situation and the basic situation, the international steel market in the first two months of the year may continue to adjust its momentum until the end of the Chinese New Year, or there may be a repairing trend.

Global crude steel production increased by 4.7% from January to November. According to the data of the International Steel Association, the crude steel output of 64 countries included in the World Iron and Steel Association statistics in November 2018 was 148.6 million tons, an increase of 5.8% over the same period of last year; the global crude steel production in January-November was 1.647 billion tons, an increase of 4.7% over the same period of last year; and the global steel production in 2018 was predicted to reach an all-time high of 1.8 billion tons.