Hebei's steel PMI pulls back to contraction zone in February

The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for the steel industry in North China's Hebei province, the country's top steel-production base, shrank again by 4.1 points on month in February to 48.8, dropping below the 50-threshold signaling contraction, according to the latest data released by the Hebei Metallurgical Industry Association.

In January, the Hebei index had rebounded by 6.9 points from December to 52.9, climbing into the expansion zone for the first time since August 2025, as Mysteel Global reported. China's national steel PMI is yet to be released by index compiler the CFLP Steel Logistics Professional Committee, but an