In March this year, the purchasing managers index (PMI) for the Chinese steel sector was at 46 percent, 0.9 percentage points higher than that recorded in February this year, as announced by the China Steel Logistics Committee (CSLC), which is part of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP).
Moreover, in March, the new order index stood at 41.1 percent, 0.9 percentage points higher than in February.
In March, the production index for the Chinese steel sector stood at 47.1 percent, 1.5 percentage points higher than in February.
In March, the raw material purchase price index stood at 35.4 percent, 0.3 percentage points lower than in February.
In March, the raw material inventory volume index stood at 49.8 percent, 0.8 percentage points higher than in February.
As for April, the demand for finished steel will likely improve to a certain degree following the previous fluctuation at low levels, which will push up raw material and finished steel prices accordingly.