Posted on 21 Sep 2026
China imported around 14,149 tonnes of stainless steel scrap in August, lower by 1,333 tonnes or 8.6% month on month, according to data from China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) published Sunday. On a year-on-year basis, however, imports jumped 4,747 tonnes or 50.5%, keeping volumes well above last year's levels.
The monthly decline was largely driven by reduced shipments from Japan, the leading supplier to China. Stainless steel scrap imports from Japan tumbled by 2,154 tonnes or 25.2% from July to 6,388 tonnes. The drop was larger than the overall monthly decline and was only partly offset by gains from other origins, Mysteel Global notes.
Market participants pointed to two factors behind Japan's reduced shipments. On the supply side, tighter Japanese domestic scrap demand kept more cargoes within Japan for local mills, leaving less available for export. On the demand side, August is traditionally a low season for stainless steel consumption in China, prompting stainless mills to slow raw-material purchases, including those of imported scrap.
By contrast, other major suppliers recorded solid gains. Imports from Thailand surged 682 tonnes or 31.7% month on month to 2,833 tonnes, while shipments from Malaysia climbed 288 tonnes or 25.3% to 1,426 tonnes.
On a year-on-year basis, the picture remains strong. Thailand's August shipments surged 902.7%, while imports from Japan rose 14.2%. For January-August, China's cumulative imports of stainless scrap reached 130,885 tonnes, soaring by 60,081 tonnes or 84.9% from the same period last year. Imports from Japan alone totaled 62,846 tonnes, representing a remarkable increase of 56.4% and underlining its dominant role in China's stainless scrap supply.
Source:Mysteel Global
