1.Carbon Steel: The Base of Construction
Carbon steel is used more than any other type of steel. The market is split up like this:
• In the construction materials segment: Rebar is affected by adjustments in the real estate sector, but infrastructure projects are filling the gap. Mysteel research indicates that the daily raw material consumption of steel structure enterprises increased by 3.35%环比 (month-on-month) after the holiday, with stable demand for high-strength structural steels such as Q355B and above.
• In the plate segment: Hot-rolled coil faces strong supply and demand dynamics, supported significantly by automotive, machinery, and export orders. Sales of loaders and excavators have grown year-on-year (increasing by 15.8% and 17.0% respectively in January-October 2025), directly driving demand for medium and thick plates.
• Sub-segment highlights: Right-angle square tubes and thick-walled square tubes are in robust demand, widely used in steel structure factories, bridges, and power transmission towers, with a stable annual compound growth rate of 5.8%.
2.Stainless Steel: Cost as a Strong Driver
In 2026, the stainless steel market is changing because of Costs and Structure:
• Cost Stuff: Nickel and molybdenum prices are up, so 2205, 316L, and 310S cost more. It's expensive, but nobody really cares to buy.
• Demand Highlights:
◦ High-End Import Substitution: Sectors such as shipbuilding, chemical engineering, and marine engineering are driving growth in demand for 316L and 2205 duplex stainless steels.
◦ Heat-Resistant Steel Demand: Concentrated releases from projects in environmental protection equipment and energy power are making 310S heat-resistant steel the core of growth.
◦ Global Market Size: It is projected to increase from 225.13 billion US dollars in 2025 to 236.71 billion US dollars in 2026.
3.Alloy Steel: The 'Hidden Champions' of the Special Steel Era
Alloy steel is becoming a new profit growth point for steel enterprises;
Three growth engines:
- Energy field: the newly installed capacity of wind power in the Tenth Five-Year Plan is not less than 120 million kilowatts, which directly drives the demand for bearing steel.
- Automobile industry: The global heat treatment steel market is expected to increase from 68.86 billion US dollars in 2025 to 71.45 billion US dollars in 2026.
- Marine engineering: China is firmly in the leading position in the world, and the demand for high-strength and fatigue-resistant alloy steel is growing steadily.
Differentiation characteristics:The special steel market is changing a lot, and companies that can make good alloy steel have more power to get what they want.
