According to data released by the China Iron & Steel Association (CISA), the crude steel production of the 156 major steelmakers totaled 67.5 million tons in September, remaining relatively unchanged from the same time a year earlier.

The country’s steel production output reached 95.74 million tons, registering an increase of 1.7% year on year.

However, the country’s apparent consumption of crude steel dropped by 5.8% to 59.95 million tons, reaching a new low in the year. China is still faced with an imbalance between supply and demand in the domestic steel market.