Inventory of five major steel products in China's 21 cities continued to fall with an expanding decline rate in mid-December (December 11-20), down 2.4% or 0.18 million tonnes from early December to 7.19 million tonnes, according to data from the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA).

The volume was 2.3% or 170,000 tonnes lower than the year-ago level, data showed.

In mid-December, southern China saw stocks decrease 220,000 tonnes or 12.8% from ten days ago, marking the largest and steepest decline among other regions. Central China registered a 50,000 tonnes or 6.1% fall in stocks. Steel stocks in eastern China decreased 20,000 tonnes or 1.0% compared to the previous ten days, according to CISA.

Stocks in northern China rose 40,000 tonnes or 4.9% from ten days ago, marking the largest and steepest increase among other regions. In southwestern China, the inventory increased 40,000 tonnes or 3.8% from the preceding sessions.

Inventories in northwestern China increased 20,000 tonnes or 4.0% compared with ten days ago. And that of northeastern China rose 10,000 tonnes or 2.8% from the preceding sessions.

Stocks of hot-rolled coil came in at 1.46 million tonnes in mid-December, falling at an expanding decline rate at 9.3% from ten days ago, and that of cold-rolled coil was 1.04 million tonnes, edging down 1.0% from the previous ten days, data showed.

Medium-thick plate stocks stood at 960,000 tonnes, down 5.9% from ten days ago, while wire stocks increased 1.3% to 800,000 tonnes.

The CISA data also showed rebar stocks stood at 2.93 million tonnes during the session ending on December 20, rising 1.0% from ten days ago.