Posted on 10 Aug 2026
China’s exports of finished steel over January-July reached 65 million tonnes, down 4.4% on year, according to the latest statistics from the General Administration of Customs (GACC) published on August 7. The on-year decline narrowed further from the 5.6% drop recorded in January-June, due to a stronger-than-expected July performance.
In July alone, China exported 10.12 million tonnes of finished steel, up 2.9% on year, the GACC data showed. The July result extended the on-year growth seen in June and marked the second month this year with an on-year increase in export volume, Mysteel Global noted.
GACC does not provide commentary with its data, but July's on-year growth largely reflected solid order bookings in May and early June, when buying activity for Chinese steel products was still relatively active, supported by then-buoyant overseas economic activity, Mysteel Global understood.
However, this growth is expected to lose momentum in the coming months, a Shanghai-based steel analyst predicted.
Order bookings slowed significantly from late June onward, a trend that persisted through July, as demand from Southeast Asia weakened amid summer heat and rains, the analyst learned from market participants. Fierce, low-priced competition from other suppliers such as Indonesia and India also aggravated the situation, as Mysteel Global reported.
Meanwhile, trade remedy measures are also reshaping China's export structure. As flat steel products such as hot-rolled coil and galvanized sheet face rising anti-dumping and countervailing duties, Chinese exporters are adjusting their product mix toward more long steel products, supported by relatively firm demand from infrastructure and energy projects in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
In the first half of this year, China exported 11.12 million tonnes of bars and rods (including rebar, wire rod and bar-in-coil) worldwide, up 9% on year. In contrast, exports of hot-rolled coils and metal-coated sheets fell 31.1% and 2.2% on year, respectively. The breakdown data for July has yet to be released.
With China's steel export dynamics continuing to shift amid rising protectionist measures, the outlook for the second half remains highly uncertain, Mysteel Global understands.
On the import front, China brought in 3.14 million tonnes of steel over January-July, down 10.1% on year, the GACC data showed.
Source:Mysteel Global
