China’s steel market is not collapsing despite the property downturn. Instead, demand is stabilising at a lower level as manufacturing, exports and new energy sectors gradually replace construction-driven demand. This is not a demand collapse, it’s a structural shift from property to industrial and export-driven demand. What’s Really Happening The sharp drop in construction activity has clearly hurt steel demand: Property-related steel (like rebar) has fallen significantly Construction’s share of demand is shrinking But the broader market tells a different story: Total steel demand is only slightly below past peaks Manufacturing, shipbuilding and energy transition sectors are absorbing demand Exports are acting as a key buffer Instead of a sudden crash, the industry is entering a long plateau . Why This Matters The market had expected a sharp collapse but reality is more gradual: Demand is declining slowly, not falling off a cliff China is shifting from construction-led growth to ...
KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 31): Bursa Malaysia finished broadly higher after two consecutive days of losses, tracking regional market peers amid the improved performance of global equities, an analyst said. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 13.07 points to 1,460.38 from Friday's close of 1,447.31. The key index, which opened 3.63 points higher at 1,450.94, moved between 1,450.94 and 1,468.41 throughout the day. The broader market was also positive with gainers trouncing losers 450 to 365, while 410 counters were unchanged, 1,137 untraded, and 66 others suspended. Turnover increased to 2.89 billion units valued at RM1.94 billion versus 2.38 billion units valued at RM1.65 billion on Friday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the FBM KLCI trended sharply higher with buying interest mainly in plantation, oil and gas, banking as well as telecommunications heavyweights. He said that regionally, key indices closed mostly hig...