In the January-April period this year, China’s finished steel exports amounted to 34.214 million mt, decreasing by 9.7 percent year on year, according to the latest data released by China's General Administration of Customs (GACC). This is the expected result after the implementation of China’s new export license policy starting from January 2026, which has exerted a negative impact on finished steel exports. Meanwhile, the ongoing war in the Middle East also contributed to the year-on-year decline in China’s steel exports.
In April alone, China’s finished steel exports amounted to 9.498 million mt, recovering by 4.0 percent month on month, though down 9.2 percent year on year.
In the given month, amid weak domestic demand and high inventory levels, Chinese steel enterprises have ramped up export efforts to absorb excess capacity. Meanwhile, due to the absence of Iranian steel from the export markets, Chinese steel gained some increase in market share.
In the first four months this year, China’s finished steel imports totaled 1.804 million mt, down 13.4 percent year on year. In April this year, China’s finished steel imports came to 465,000 mt, down 9.2 percent month on month, while decreasing by 10.6 percent year on year.
