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Chinese domestic longs slipped in early August
China's National Bureau of Statistics reported on August 14 that domestic steel prices softened in the first ten days of August. The average price of 20 mm HRB400E rebar fell to RMB 3,062.7 per ton (about $451), down RMB 60.7 or 1.9% from late July. Wire rod dropped 1.5%, hot-rolled coil 1.4%, angles 0.7%, seamless pipe 0.5%, and medium plate 0.3% over the same comparison. The pullback is broad but shallow, and it lands at the tail end of the summer construction off-season.
Direct Answer: What is happening to steel prices in mid-August 2026?
Chinese domestic long product prices dipped 0.3 to 1.9% in early August, while Turkish export rebar and wire rod rose about $5 and $3 per ton in the same week. The split reflects soft Chinese construction demand against firm Mediterranean export appetite. With China's peak construction season returning from late August and Shanghai Metals Market projecting a modest second-half rebound, buyers sourcing sections and scaffolding steel for Q4 projects have a narrow window to book before domestic prices firm up.
Export tags tell a different story in Turkey
The Arab Iron and Steel Union's weekly price sheet for the second week of August shows export markets moving the other way. Turkish rebar FOB reached $575 to $585 per ton, up around $5 week on week, and Turkish wire rod gained $3 to $580 to $585. Turkish billet bought from the CIS climbed $13 to $500 to $505 CFR, while Chinese billet FOB eased $5 to $450 to $455. Iron ore held at $96, keeping raw material costs flat for now. SteelRadar's August 14 market note reads the same direction inside Turkey: rebar tags are rising while billet and profile prices stay under pressure.
What the second-half outlook says
Shanghai Metals Market's August 11 analysis expects both rebar and HRC prices to rebound slightly in tandem from late August, when the off-season fades and construction and manufacturing demand return together. The HRC-rebar spread, which averaged 187 yuan in the first half against 128 yuan a year earlier, should hold in a 180 to 230 yuan band through autumn because the overall supply-demand imbalance in China still caps any strong rally. Toward year-end the spread may widen slightly to 200 to 250 yuan as outdoor construction slows and manufacturing keeps running.
What buyers should do now
- Use the August dip for Q4 orders. Angles, plate, and rebar all softened together in early August. Sections and fabricated scaffolding components priced off these feedstocks are at their cheapest point since late July.
- Fix quotes before the seasonal turn. SMM expects a modest rebound from late August. A fixed-price contract signed now shields Q4 deliveries from the peak-season uptick.
- Watch the freight side too. With Turkish export tags rising, Mediterranean buyers competing for the same tonnage will keep freight and regional premiums firm even if Chinese domestic prices stay soft.
- Keep documentation current. Price volatility months are when substituted grades and missing mill certificates do the most damage. Insist on batch-matched MTCs with every shipment.
Book Q4 structural steel at August levels
Lengge manufactures H-section steel, cantilever I-beams, and scaffolding components with mill test certificates on every batch. If your Q4 project list is confirmed, send us your sizes and tonnages now and we will return a fixed quotation at current market levels with a production slot reserved. Talk to the team through the contact page.
Sources:
- SteelOrbis. "NBS: Local Chinese rebar prices down 1.9 percent in early August." August 14, 2026. https://www.steelorbis.com/steel-news/latest-news/nbs-local-chinese-rebar-prices-down-19-percent-in-early-august-2026-1470832.htm
- Arab Iron and Steel Union. "Steel prices in the second week of August 2026." August 8, 2026. https://aisusteel.org/en/archives/39910
- SteelRadar. "Turkish steel market sees rebar prices rise while billet and profiles remain under pressure." August 14, 2026. https://www.steelradar.com/en/
- Shanghai Metals Market (SMM). "HRC-Rebar Price Spread Set to Consolidate Between 150-250 yuan/mt in H2 2026." August 11, 2026. https://news.metal.com/en/newscontent/104018923
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Lengge
Cantilever Scaffolding System Manufacturer
Lengge is a China-based factory producing cantilever I-beams, tie rods, couplers, embedded parts and full scaffolding accessories. We supply contractors, wholesalers and rental companies in over 50 countries from our own production facility in Hebei.
