The Economic Daily climate Index of China Steel Industry for the Fourth Quarter of 2013 was posted by Industry Research Centers and the National Bureau of Statistics China Economic on January 20.

Monitoring shows that the fourth quarter of 2013, the steel industry sentiment index was 98.0 points, almost equal to the previous quarter. According to the sales situation analysis, steady growth policies and real estate, automotive and other downstream industries to some extent, enhance the iron and steel industry boom.

From the specific indicators, during the fourth quarter of 2013, China's crude steel production rose 7.9%, the growth rate accelerated 0.4 percentage points from the previous quarter; steel industry, the main business revenue grew by 10.3%, the growth rate improved 3.6 percentage points from the previous quarter.  

Although the steel industry sales growth has picked up, but steel prices at low levels, loan delinquency status significantly. In the fourth quarter, the level of the steel industry product prices fell 3.5 percent, the industry accounts receivable grew by 15.2%, 5.2 percentage points from the previous quarter to accelerate. This shows that the growth in market demand is still not strong enough; the steel industry overcapacity pressure is still great.