Steel Price in the Market on May 18, 2026

Threaded steel: On May 18th, the average price of 20mm Grade III seismic resistant threaded steel in 31 major cities across the country was 3468 yuan/ton, a decrease of 22 yuan/ton from the previous trading day. Specifically, in the morning session, the futures market maintained a weak and volatile trend, while the intraday trend continued to be under pressure. In the morning, the mainstream quotes of domestic spot merchants were lowered, and prices in most regions weakened, with some markets continuing to offer discounts due to weakness. In terms of transactions, the overall performance of the market is poor. Rainy weather continues to increase in the southern region, and construction sites are restricted, resulting in poor overall transaction performance. There are few terminal essential purchases, and the overall trading atmosphere in the market is quiet.

Hot rolled coils: On May 18th, the average price of 4.75mm hot rolled coils in 24 major cities across the country was 3463 yuan/ton, a decrease of 13 yuan/ton from the previous trading day. Black series futures fluctuated downwards, and spot prices showed a "stable in the south and weak in the north" pattern. The overall market trading was weak, and downstream only maintained rigid demand purchases, with insufficient speculative demand. Traders mainly focused on shipping and had a strong wait-and-see attitude. Hot coil production continues to operate at a low level, but the recovery of steel mills' profitability has led to a recovery in production enthusiasm. Domestic demand has entered a seasonal weakening stage, but exports still show some resilience, and total inventory continues to decline in both factory and social inventory.

Cold rolled coils: On May 18th, the average price of 1.0mm cold coils in 24 major cities across the country was 3903 yuan/ton, a decrease of 4 yuan/ton from the previous trading day. Specifically, due to the decline in the black futures market, market purchasing sentiment has been suppressed, and overall transactions have slightly declined. In terms of mentality, traders often choose to offer small discounts on shipments to cash in profits and cope with unstable demand changes. They tend to be cautious in their mentality.

Medium thick plate: On May 18th, the average price of 20mm ordinary plate in 24 major cities across the country was 3596 yuan/ton, a decrease of 8 yuan/ton from the previous trading day. The overall trading atmosphere in the market tends to be cautious, with weak follow-up and insufficient volume of spot transactions. In the afternoon, after the market continued to decline in prices, there were no more inquiries from customers, and transactions remained weak. On the supply side, the current capacity utilization rate of medium and thick plate steel mills is maintaining a high and fluctuating operation. However, the recent performance of steel mill variety orders is still good, and production resources are prioritized for product variety steel. There are not many locking resources, and there is also less investment in conventional circulation resources, which has led to tight spot inventory of some mainstream specifications in the market and strengthened supply support.