China’s finished steel exports declined in the first seven months of 2026, while July shipments increased year on year despite easing from the previous month.
According to data from China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC), the country exported 64.995 million metric tons of finished steel during January–July 2026, down 4.4% year on year. The pace of decline narrowed by 1.2 percentage points compared with the first six months of the year.
In July alone, China’s finished steel exports reached 10.121 million metric tons, down 1.9% month on month but up 2.9% year on year. Meanwhile, finished steel imports totaled 3.14 million metric tons in the first seven months, falling 10.1% year on year. July imports stood at 445,000 metric tons, up 0.9% from June but down 1.5% compared with July 2025.
The decline in exports comes amid China’s new steel export license policy, which took effect in January 2026. Despite the year-to-date decrease, July’s year-on-year growth indicates that China continues to maintain significant steel export volumes.
VietnamSteel by Hoa Sen Group
