China’s steel and raw material futures ended stronger on April 22, offering fresh support to market sentiment across the steel value chain. SteelOrbis’s daily futures snapshot tracked gains in key contracts, with rebar at the Shanghai Futures Exchange closing at RMB 3,186 per tonne ($464/mt), up 0.31%, while hot-rolled coil closed at RMB 3,388 per tonne ($494/mt), up 0.62%. Iron ore at the Dalian Commodity Exchange stood at RMB 786.5 per tonne ($114.7/mt), showing firm raw material support alongside the move in finished steel futures.

Chinese futures are signaling a steadier tone in steel pricing, with both long and flat products moving up while iron ore remains resilient. That combination matters for mills, traders and exporters watching cost pressure, pricing direction and demand cues in Asia’s largest steel market. The April 22 futures trend also reinforces the importance of tracking rebar, HRC and iron ore together, as these benchmarks continue to shape broader steel market expectations.