South Korea: Stainless steel finished flat imports fall 29% m-o-m in Jul’25

• Indonesian HRC exports plunge 90.4% to 1,268 t
• China’s CRC exports surge manifold m-o-m

South Korea’s total stainless steel finished flats imports, including hot-rolled (HRC) and cold-rolled (CRC) coils, decreased by 29% m-o-m to 43,790 tonnes (t) in July 2025 from 61,460 t in the previous month.

This drop was accompanied by notable decreases in average import prices as well. The downtrend reflects shifting supplier dynamics, changing demand patterns, and issues related to delivery and quality from some sources.

Hot-rolled imports decline over 20% m-o-m

According to SteelDaily, in July 2025, South Korea’s imports of stainless steel wide strip HRCs fell sharply by 22.7% m-o-m and 28.3% y-o-y to 18,320 t.

The average import price also dropped by 12.5% m-o-m to $1,782/t. Leading suppliers included China (9,026 t at $1,559/t), Japan, Taiwan, and Indonesia, though imports from the latter were down notably, by 90.4% to just 1,268 t at a higher price of $2,305/t. Imports from India remained minimal at only 65 t, reflecting ongoing delivery and quality issues.

Cold-rolled imports drop 8% m-o-m; China leads amid suppliers

Stainless steel wide strip CRC imports also declined in July, by 7.5% m-o-m to 21,917 t. Meanwhile, the average import price fell 7% to $1,803/t.

China dominated CRC imports, supplying 13,198 t (60.2% of the total) at $1,609/t, up almost 200% m-o-m. Other major sources included Taiwan, Malaysia, and Indonesia, while imports from India reached 704 t at an average price of $2,343/t.

Notably, 300 series CRC imports increased to 9,655 t, with China, Taiwan, and Malaysia as leading suppliers.

Trade data from the Korea Iron and Steel Association show that hot-rolled and cold-rolled stainless steel wide strip imports contracted across most major supplying nations, especially Indonesia and Vietnam, while Chinese supply surged markedly for CRCs in July.

The average customs clearance prices of HRCs and CRCs dropped notably, both m-o-m and y-o-y.

Note: This article has been published in accordance with a content exchange agreement between SteelDaily and BigMint.