China's worst flooding in 20 years is taking its toll on the domestic ferrous supply chain from steelmaking raw materials all the way through to finished steel products.
High water levels in the Yangtze River after weeks of torrential rain have affected the transportation of materials and products, with steel mills along its banks in the cities of Anhui, Jiangxi and Hubei all being affected.
The water levels in Wuhan have surpassed those of the major floods in 1998, with flood alerts issued in the areas surrounding the Dongting and Poyang lakes.
Provincial authorities have asked workers and citizens in Anqing, Chizhou, Tongling, Wuhu and Ma'anshan to prepare to evacuate amid expectations that the flooding will worsen this week, which ends on July 17.
A critical "red alert" flood warning was issued on July 10 by the Changjiang River Water Resources Commission, for the middle and lower reaches from Jiujiang to Hukou, as well as Poyang Lake. This was later adjusted to an "orange alert" level on July 14.
Alert levels typically go through four levels from...