China Steel Demand Will Shrink Again; Fed Leaves Rates Unchanged

CISA: Chinese Steel Demand Will Fall More

China’s steel demand is likely to drop for a third year in a row, an industry official said on Thursday, as mills in the world’s top producer focus on reducing capacity.

China’s crude steel consumption slipped 1.9% from January to July and there may be a slight drop for the year, said Wang Liqun, vice chairman of the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA).

Fed Leaves Rates Unchanged Again

U.S. stocks marched higher on Thursday, with the Nasdaq hitting a record intraday high, as investors cheered the Federal Reserve‘s decision to not raise interest rates yesterday.

While the Fed said the risks to economic outlook were roughly “balanced”, it left rates unchanged for want of “further evidence of continued progress”. Inflation remains below the central bank’s target of 2 percent and members saw room for improvement in the labor market.

Even if the Fed raises rates at its last meeting of the year in December, many are worried that Central Banks toolkit for hitting inflation targets is ineffective.