Steel prices today, December 18th: Rising to a weekly high due to accelerating demand.

Steel and iron ore futures prices both rose to their highest levels in a week, mainly due to increased stockpiling of raw materials in China ahead of the holiday.

Global market developments

At the close of trading on December 17th, steel and iron ore prices on international exchanges rose to their highest levels in a week. The main driving force was increased buying by Chinese steel producers to stockpile raw materials for year-end production and the Lunar New Year holiday.

Specifically, on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE), the price of January 2026 rebar futures rose by 7 yuan, or 0.23%, to 3,095 yuan/tonne . On the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE), iron ore futures prices increased by 5.5 yuan (0.7%), reaching 786 yuan/tonne . Meanwhile, iron ore futures for January 2026 on the Singapore Exchange also rose by 1.1 USD, closing at 103.65 USD/tonne .

Global steel and iron ore prices are rising due to stockpiling demand in China.

Reasons for the increase in steel prices.

The market's upward momentum was bolstered by several positive factors. According to data from consulting firm Mysteel, market liquidity improved significantly. Iron ore trading volume at ports increased by 18.2%, while trading on the sea freight market surged by 76.8% compared to the previous session.

In addition, pressure to cut steel production in China in December is believed to have eased, as production in the first 11 months of the year had already approached the government 's cut target. Market sentiment was also supported by easing concerns about China's real estate sector, following Vanke Group's move to improve its proposal for a bond extension.

Seaborne iron ore prices in the fourth quarter (ending December 16) averaged $103 per ton, higher than Goldman Sachs' forecast of $95 per ton. Related commodities such as coking coal and coke also increased by 0.33% and 1.93%, respectively.

Domestic steel prices remain stable.

In contrast to the global market, domestic construction steel prices on December 18th remained stable, with no new adjustments recorded from manufacturers. Domestic consumption demand has not seen a significant breakthrough.

Reference steel prices in some areas (Unit: VND/kg)

Trademark	Product	North	Central region	Southern
Hoa Phat	CB240 steel coil	13,580	13,580	13,580
Hoa Phat	D10 CB300 ribbed steel bar	13,790	13,790	13,790
Viet Duc	D10 CB300 ribbed steel bar	13,890	14,190	But
Pomina	D10 CB300 ribbed steel bar	But	~14,180	~14,000
VAS	Steel of all types	But	But	13,500 - 13,600

Overall, the future trend of domestic steel prices will largely depend on factors such as the progress of public investment disbursement, the purchasing power of the construction market, and policy signals from China, which are factors that influence the global market.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/gia-thep-hom-nay-1812-tang-len-muc-cao-nhat-tuan-do-nhu-cau-tang-toc-411320.html