CISA: H1 profits revive for Chinese steel but long-term demand plunge looms

China's steel industry maintained generally stable operations in the first half of 2025, with member mills of the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) reporting a notable 63.3% on-year surge in total profits to Yuan 59.2 billion ($8.2 billion), according to CISA's chairman Zhao Minge.

The share of loss-making steelmakers dropped significantly during H1, accounting for only around one-quarter of CISA member mills, compared with nearly half during January-June last year, he told China Metallurgical News (CMN), widely regarded as CISA's voice. Zhao attributed the large increase in profitability to three key factors, namely the