Made by Panzhihua Iron and Steel in Sichuan province, the rails measure 100 meters in length each, and were transported to Fangchenggang port.

The first batch of steel rails made in China for use on Indonesia's Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway was shipped on Saturday from the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The steel does not have to be painted, which saves maintenance costs.

China's steel sector registered output expansion in the first 10 months of this year, industrial data showed.

China's steel industry should adhere to the dual-circulation development pattern and accelerate the establishment of a stable and efficient supply system for raw materials, industry experts said.

"Not a good sign, but at least the worst is over and we're heading for a recovery."

The No.4 furnace at Gary has a rated annual capacity of 1.36 million st/year, according to data from the Association for Iron and Steel Technology.

Thyssenkrupp received a non-binding offer from Liberty Steel for its steel unit in October.