Mild Steel News Today

China's BDO exports surged 159.94% in Q1, reaching 80,000 tonnes, driven by the upcoming VAT rebate removal on April 1, 2026. This reduced inventory and boosted prices.

China's butadiene prices plunged 20.34% (late March-April) due to weak demand, easing downstream costs. PBR losses narrowed by Yuan 1,751/t, with production profits slowly recovering, expected to alleviate weak demand.

India’s TMT market remains firm following a recent price correction, supported by strong infrastructure demand and tight supply conditions. While prices are expected to remain stable within a defined range, volatility may persist due to rising coking coal costs, global trade shifts, and potential import pressure. The market continues to balance strong fundamentals with evolving geopolitical and policy-driven risks.

Korea and India signed 20 MOUs in steel, shipbuilding, and digital services during President Lee Jae Myung's state visit, fostering new partnerships and collaborations between the two nations.

China's May methanol imports may hit a decade low, falling below 400,000 tonnes. Inventories could drop to 800,000 tonnes by late April due to tight supply and strong exports, despite squeezed downstream margins.

Middle East conflicts created an unexpected export window for China's PP, boosting exports by 30.33% in Jan-Feb. This relieved domestic oversupply as other Asian producers idled capacity due to surging feedstock costs.

Geopolitical shifts in the Middle East are disrupting traditional PP supply. China's PP industry is seizing this opportunity, leveraging cost advantages and production scale to expand its global export share and transform its trade strategy.

Indian steel prices softened as Iran tensions eased. HRC/CRC declined ₹200-600/ton, and IF rebar also fell. Seaborne coking coal weakened, offering cost relief. Imported shredded scrap dropped $6 w-o-w to $393/ton, with buyers favoring domestic options.

Iran's supply gap and freight issues are expected to support Asian steel prices in Q2. A report analyzes trends in iron ore, coal, copper, alumina, cobalt, lithium, nickel, and steel.

China's steel sheet/plate exports fell 16.3% to 14.6 million mt in Jan-Mar 2026, with March alone seeing a 19.1% drop to 5.28 million mt. Increased trade barriers impacted exports.