Central China's cold-rolled coil market concluded 2025 with stable operation featuring "steady prices and low inventory". The maximum price difference throughout the year narrowed to 590 yuan/ton, nearly half the decline in 2024, and the price center moved down by 313 yuan/ton from the previous year to 3948 yuan/ton. In terms of inventory, the average annual social inventory dropped to 12,100 tons, a decrease of 14.2% compared with 2024. The peak inventory at the beginning of the year was 16,600 tons, a reduction of 33.6% year-on-year, mainly due to the continuous reduction in the supply of ordinary steel by steel mills.
On the demand side, benefiting from the strong growth of the new energy vehicle industry, the application demand for cold-rolled coils in the automotive sector continued to release, driving up the proportion of demand for special steel. The increase in the direct supply ratio of steel mills further alleviated the market inventory pressure. In terms of price trend, the market experienced three stages in 2025: "decline at the beginning of the year - rebound in July - narrow fluctuation in the second half of the year". Among them, it rose by 330 yuan/ton cumulatively in July, and the fluctuation range in the subsequent five months was only 100 yuan/ton.

Looking forward to 2026, new changes will occur in the Central China market. In December 2025, Hunan Chengyu's cold-rolled coil resources were officially launched, with a planned monthly output of 15,000 tons. Initially, they will be mainly supplied to the Changsha and Nanchang markets. With price advantages, it is expected to reshape the regional supply pattern. On the demand side, the continuous increase of national subsidy funds will continue to stimulate the growth of manufacturing demand, but the release of new production capacity on the supply side may intensify market competition. It is expected that the price center of cold-rolled coils in Central China will move down further in 2026.