NBS: Crude steel output in key China hubs declines 2.6% YoY in H1

Crude steel production among China's top 10 steelmaking provinces and autonomous regions fell by 2.6% on year to 362.47 million tonnes during the first half of 2026, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released on July 20.

The rate of decline was slightly slower than the 3.5% fall recorded in the January-May period. Moreover, although nine of the top 10 regions recorded on-year decreases in H1 output, the fall for most was smaller when compared with the first five-month statistics. For example, Shanxi still posted the sharpest drop of 6.5%