Steel exports from China decreased by 8.1% in January-May, but increased by 8.9% in May 2026 compared to April

Between January and May of this year, China's exports of finished steel totaled 44.554 million tons, down 8.1 percent year-on-year, 1.6 percentage points slower than the rate of decline recorded in the first four months of this year, according to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC). The decrease is the expected result of the implementation of China's new export license policy starting in January 2026, which had a negative impact on exports of finished steel. However, the lack of Iranian steel in export markets supported exports of finished steel from China in the first five months.

In May alone, China's exports of finished steel totaled 10.341 million tons, recovering 8.9 percent month-on-month, although down 2.2 percent year-on-year.

In this month, exports of finished steel showed a recovery, signaling that Chinese finished steel remains competitive in the international market. However, the reality of an 8.1 percent year-on-year decline in exports between January and May indicates that exports are still experiencing significant downward pressure in 2026.

In the first five months of this year, imports of finished steel to China amounted to 2,255 tons, which is 12.2 percent less than last year. In May of this year, China's finished steel imports totaled 451,000 tons, down 3.0 percent month-on-month and down 6.2 percent year-on-year.