BEIJING- Steel futures on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (ShFE) drifted down in early trade on Tuesday, hurt by unfavorable weather conditions across China and a rise in local COVID-19 infections.
Northeast China was hit by heavy snow last week, while southern areas saw rainfall and recorded a dip in temperatures.
Meanwhile, some new local transmissions of COVID-19 disrupted market sentiment on high steel prices.
The most-traded construction rebar on the ShFE, for January delivery, fell 0.7 percent to 3,917 yuan ($595.14) a ton.
Hot-rolled coils, used in cars and home appliances, dipped 0.5 percent to 4,034 yuan a ton.