Posted on 10 Nov 2025
China’s finished steel exports rose 6.6% on year to 97.74 million tonnes during the first 10 months of 2025, according to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs (GACC) on November 7.
For October alone, China exported 9.78 million tonnes of steel, down 6.5% from September, the data showed.
Despite the on-month drop, October's export volume exceeded market expectations, and more importantly, could push China's total steel exports for 2025 beyond the record 112.4 million tonnes set in 2015, potentially reaching a new all-time high, a Shanghai-based ferrous analyst noted.
The strong performance was partly underpinned by the price competitiveness of Chinese steel products.
For instance, even during August and September -- when Chinese hot-rolled coil (HRC) export prices under Mysteel's tracking rose to around $480/tonne -- a wide price gap persisted between Chinese and overseas offers from countries such as Japan, India and Turkey.
At the same time, subdued domestic demand led Chinese steelmakers to step up exports, particularly to Southeast Asian and Middle East markets, where robust infrastructure and construction activity fueled strong demand for imported steel.
During the first three quarters of the year, China's apparent consumption of crude steel declined 5.7% on year to 649 million tonnes, according to the China Iron and Steel Association data.
Meanwhile, China's exports of construction steel items including bars and rods, angles and sections posted marked on-year increases of 48.3% and 39%, respectively, the GACC data showed.
Another factor supporting the high steel export volume has been accelerated shipments by Chinese exporters throughout this year due to tariff concerns, the Shanghai-based analyst added.
On the import front, China's finished steel imports totaled 5.04 million tonnes during January-October, down 11.9% on year, the GACC data showed.
Source:Mysteel Global
