Price trend
According to SunSirs’ commodity price analysis system, the price of color coated steel sheets remained stable in January. On November 1st, the market price of color coated steel sheets was 6,350 RMB/ton; on January 30th, the price was also 6,350 RMB/ton. The average price of color coated steel sheets in January remained stable compared to the beginning of the month, but decreased by 7.299% compared to the same period last year.
Galvanized Steel Sheet: The price of galvanized steel sheets experienced a slight decline in January. On January 1st, the price was 4,087 RMB/ton, and on January 30th, it was 4,055 RMB/ton, a decrease of 0.7826% compared to the beginning of the month and a decrease of 8.049% compared to the same period last year. Downstream demand in the coated steel market remained lukewarm, and market transactions were relatively weak.
Core Market Dimension Analysis
(I) Supply and Demand Landscape: Stable capacity release, seasonal contraction in demand
On the supply side, as of January 28th, 24 out of 104 color coated steel sheet production lines nationwide were shut down or undergoing maintenance, maintaining an operating rate of 77%, the same as the previous month. The average daily total output was 33,700 tons, with stable capacity utilization and no significant fluctuations. In terms of capacity distribution, the East China, North China, and South China regions still account for 70% of the national capacity, and the highly concentrated regional pattern remains unchanged. In terms of product structure, hot-dip galvanized coated steel sheets remained the market mainstream, accounting for 35%, with a production volume of 4 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 8%; aluminum-zinc alloy coated steel sheets account for 30%, and plastic-coated steel sheets account for 25%, indicating a gradual increase in the production of high-end and environmentally friendly products.
On the demand side, the color coated steel sheet market in January exhibited characteristics of "industry differentiation and seasonal weakness." The construction industry, as a core demand sector, was affected by the Lunar New Year holiday shutdowns, resulting in continued sluggish demand for downstream projects such as steel structures, building envelopes, and architectural decoration. Among the five major steel product categories nationwide, plate consumption decreased by 2.6% month-on-month. Manufacturing demand remained relatively stable, with the automotive manufacturing sector consuming 2 million tons, a 12% year-on-year increase, and the home appliance industry consuming 200,000 tons, a 7% year-on-year increase, although the pace of short-term order placement slowed down. Regarding exports, the new export license management policy for color coated steel sheets implemented in January led to longer export process cycles and a temporary slowdown in export pace. This resulted in tighter supply of spot resources at ports, providing some support to international market prices.
(II) Policy Environment: New export policies were implemented, reshaping the industry landscape
The key industry policy change in January was the implementation of new regulations governing export licenses for coated and plated steel sheets. The new policy requires companies to obtain a license from the Ministry of Commerce for the export of these products. The approval process will consider multiple factors, including enterprise capacity utilization, environmental ratings, and export pricing. This marks a shift in industry policy from scale control to a more refined approach focused on guiding industrial structure. In the short term, the policy will lead to longer export processing cycles and pressure on non-standard trade channels. Mainstream steel mills and large trading companies will further consolidate their market share due to their compliance advantages, while small and medium-sized export enterprises will face pressure to adjust their strategies. In the medium to long term, the new policy is expected to drive the industry towards high-value-added fields such as high-end appliance panels, high-strength automotive exterior panels, and specialized coatings for new energy applications, reducing the export of homogeneous low-end products and reshaping the global coated and plated steel sheet market competitive landscape and supply chain distribution.
Market outlook
In February 2026, the color coated steel sheet market will gradually enter a transitional phase of "Lunar New Year holiday closure - post-holiday recovery." In the short term, market transactions will largely stagnate during the Lunar New Year holiday, and prices are likely to remain stable. After the holiday, with the resumption of downstream construction projects and the recovery of manufacturing orders, market demand is expected to gradually increase. However, considering that inventory has already increased by 0.8% week-on-week to 12.5708 million tons, it will still take time for the supply-demand balance to be restored. In terms of price, the support from cold rolled base materials remains, coupled with the supportive effect of new export policies on overseas markets. Therefore, it is expected that color coated steel sheet prices in February will remain stable, with slight increases possible in some regions as demand recovers. The overall price trend throughout the year will be influenced by policy guidance, fluctuations in raw material prices, and the strength of downstream demand recovery.
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