en.Wedoany.com Reported - Last week (June 8 to June 14, 2026), China's steel and non-ferrous metals markets continued to show divergent trends, with inventories of medium plates and electrolytic copper declining, but overall downstream consumer demand remaining weak. Orders in the global shipbuilding market continued to concentrate in China and South Korea, with Chinese shipbuilders securing multiple high-value-added vessel orders in succession.
In terms of medium plates, prices experienced weak fluctuations last week with subdued trading. Spot prices for mainstream specification general medium plates (14-20mm) ranged from 3,450 to 3,540 yuan per ton. On the supply side, long-process steel mills prioritized delivery of high-value-added orders for shipbuilding, wind power, and pressure vessels, slowing the release of general plate resources, with tight supply of mainstream specifications in North China. Demand remained weak, as infrastructure and real estate sectors faced funding pressures, new projects lacked sufficient starts, and manufacturers in machinery and pressure vessels saw fewer orders, with end-users only maintaining small-volume essential procurement. Last week, medium plate consumption stood at 1.7094 million tons, down 17,500 tons week-on-week and 8,100 tons month-on-month. Market participants adopted a cautious wait-and-see attitude toward the outlook, expecting prices to maintain narrow fluctuations this week.
Regarding hot-rolled coils, according to a full-sample survey by Mysteel, the estimated total impact volume last week was 10,000 tons, with the actual total impact volume this week at 40,000 tons, and the projected impact volume for next week at 21,200 tons. This week, a steel mill in East China resumed production, with the statistical periods being June 4 to June 10, 2026, and June 11 to June 17, 2026, respectively.
In the non-ferrous metals market, electrolytic aluminum prices first fell and then rose, with the weekly center of gravity shifting downward. Aluminum rod processing fees remained at a relatively high level, with average spot trading activity. Downstream companies showed willingness to replenish stocks during price dips, but faced with rising processing fees, their order enthusiasm was insufficient. On the supply side, weekly aluminum rod output shifted from a decrease to an increase, with some regions seeing production resumption and expansion. Social and factory inventories continued to decline, but the core issue of a lack of orders in the construction materials sector remained unresolved. For electrolytic copper, China's spot inventory last week stood at 250,100 tons, down 12,000 tons from the 28th and 5,500 tons from the 1st. In the Shanghai market, due to weakening import price ratios, imported copper clearance inflows decreased, and domestic arrivals were also limited, leading to overall inventory reduction. Copper prices remained high, with downstream companies showing significant price aversion and weak procurement demand, though price dips still stimulated replenishment. Market arrivals are expected to see limited improvement this week, with inventories continuing to decline slightly.
In terms of policy and industry highlights, according to data released by Clarksons on June 9, global new ship orders in May totaled 147 vessels at 4.52 million CGT (compensated gross tons), down 45% month-on-month but up 91% year-on-year. Among these, Chinese shipbuilders secured orders for 97 vessels at 2.11 million CGT, capturing a 47% global market share, retaining the top spot for 14 consecutive months. South Korean shipbuilders secured orders for 34 vessels at 1.99 million CGT, with a 44% global market share. The combined order volume of China and South Korea accounted for 91% of the global total, highlighting an increasingly pronounced "two-power rivalry" in the global shipbuilding market. Chinese shipbuilders' order volume was 2.85 times that of South Korea by vessel count and 1.06 times by CGT. South Korean shipbuilders focused on high-value-added vessel orders, with an average CGT per vessel of 59,000 CGT, up 27,000 CGT from the previous month. Recently, China has secured multiple significant vessel orders in succession, including Hudong-Zhonghua signing contracts for 12 VLCCs (Very Large Crude Carriers) of 307,000 tons each, with a contract value of nearly 10 billion yuan; Jiangnan Shipyard signing contracts for four 175,000 cubic meter LNG carriers, with a contract value of 6.445 billion yuan; Wison Clean Energy signing contracts for 6+4 VLCCs; and Wuchang Shipbuilding signing contracts for 3+3 26,000 DWT stainless steel chemical tankers.
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