- Record exports driven by strong long steel growth
- Weak domestic demand pushes steel exports higher
Japan Metal Daily: According to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs of China on the 18 January 2026, China’s steel exports in 2025 showed mixed trends across product categories. While exports of steel plates declined for the first time in three years, Rebar and structural steel recorded strong growth, with structural steel reaching record highs.
Due to the anti-dumping regulations on Chinese hot-rolled coil (HRC) in markets such as Vietnam and South Korea, steel plate exports declined by 2.1% y-o-y to 73.09 mnt, marking the first decrease in three years.
However, galvanized steel plates and color-coated steel plates continued to grow, recording only a slight decline from the previous year’s high, indicating resilience within higher value-added segments.
While steel plate exports remained sluggish, exports of long steel products such as rebars and structural steel expanded significantly, reflecting weak domestic demand for construction materials. Rebar exports increased by 42.4% to 19.15 mnt, and structural steel exports rose by 36.6% to 8.08 mnt. Structural steel surpassed 5 mnt in 2024 for the first time in eight years and rose further to a record high of 8 mnt in 2025.
Although rebar exports remain below the historical peak of 43.9 mnt recorded in 2015, the current level represents the highest since the elimination of illegal “ground steel” in 2025.
China’s total steel exports in 2025 reached a record high of 119.02 mnt on a CY basis, with steel plates accounting for 61% of total exports, down by 6% from the previous year. In addition to rebar and structural steel, wire rod exports also rose by 13.1% to 2.96 mnt, reaching the highest level since 2014.
Overall steel exports hit a record high of 11.3 mnt in December 2025. Rebar exports increased by 29.2% to 1.89 mnt, while steel plate exports rose by 10.8% y-o-y to 6.65 mnt. Structural steel exports surged by 55.6% to 920,000 tonnes (t), marking the highest monthly level on record. The sharp increase reflects a wave of last-minute shipments across a broad range of steel products ahead of the implementation of the export permit system in January 2026, covering around 300 steel products.
Outlook
The introduction of the export licensing system from January 2026 is expected to temporarily restrain steel exports. However, unless domestic demand improves meaningfully, Chinese steelmakers are likely to continue relying on overseas markets, and steel exports are therefore expected to remain robust in the near term.
Note: This article has been written in accordance with a content exchange agreement between Japan Metal Daily and BigMint.
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