In the January-February period this year, China’s finished steel exports amounted to 15.6 million mt, decreasing by 8.1 percent year on year, according to the latest data released by China's General Administration of Customs (GACC).
In the first two months this year, China’s finished steel imports totaled 827,000 mt, down 21.7 percent year on year.
The implementation of the export license policy starting from January 2026 negatively affected exports in the January-February period. The impact of export license policy on exports may be ease in March, while the war in the Middle East will exert a negative impact on China’s steel exports due to the impact on shipping and the decreasing demand from most Middle Eastern countries, where China usually ships up to 20 percent of its all steel export volumes.