The National Energy Administration of China released data on the electricity consumption of the whole society in April. In April, the entire society consumed 820.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, a year-on-year increase of 6.0%.

In April 2026, China exported 5.46 million tons of steel plates, a year-on-year decrease of 17.5%; from January to April, the cumulative exports were 20.06 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 16.6%

Major events in the nonferrous metals industry in April 2026

Major events in the steel industry in April 2026

From January to March 2026, 13,987 new foreign-invested enterprises were established in China, a year-on-year increase of 11%

In the first quarter of 2026, China’s copper, coal, aluminum, home appliances, photovoltaics, excavators, etc. output

In March, the added value of industries above designated size increased by 0.28% compared with the previous month. From January to March, the added value of industries above designated size increased by 6.1% year-on-year.

From January to March 2026, China exported a total of 24.717 million tons of steel, a year-on-year decrease of 9.9%

In the first quarter of 2026, China’s import and export of goods was 11.84 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15%

In the first quarter of 2026, a total of 288 new overseas engineering projects were signed by Chinese companies, with the projects mainly concentrated in Southeast Asia and Africa.

Offshore ship operations in the Middle East have come to a standstill. Since offshore engineering vessels mainly serve the regional oil and gas market, oil and gas companies in the Middle East suspended operations or evacuated after the conflict.

Major events in the global steel industry in March 2026