High-Value-Added Products as Growth Core

In October 2025, China’s steel exports saw a year-on-year decline in the single month but maintained growth in cumulative exports. High-value-added products such as coated steel sheets continued to lead the export list, and demand from emerging markets like Southeast Asia and South America showed strong resilience, becoming an important support for China’s steel exports.​

According to the latest data from Mysteel, China’s steel export volume in October 2025 was 9.78 million tons, a month-on-month decrease of 6.6% and a year-on-year decrease of 12.3%. The cumulative steel exports from January to October reached 97.74 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 6.6%. Although the single-month exports fell back due to the high base of last year, the cumulative growth rate still reflects the core competitiveness of Chinese steel in the international market. Notably, coated steel sheets became one of the few major varieties to achieve a month-on-month positive growth, with an export volume of 2.033 million tons in October, up 6.7% month-on-month, surpassing hot-rolled coils for four consecutive months to rank first in single-variety steel exports. Their international demand in downstream industries such as automobiles and home appliances remains strong.​

In terms of regional markets, Vietnam maintained its position as China’s largest steel export market, with imports reaching 1.027 million tons in October, a month-on-month increase of 23.4%. Imports from Brazil and Turkey also rose significantly, driven mainly by increased orders for plate products. Thailand and Malaysia maintained steady growth supported by rising demand for angle steel. Although imports from some Asian and Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and South Korea saw a phased decline, China’s cumulative exports to Thailand, the Philippines and other countries from January to October still maintained double-digit growth, and the export pattern is accelerating its adjustment to emerging markets with more active demand.​

Industry analysts pointed out that the resilience of China’s steel exports stems from multiple factors: rigid demand from emerging markets such as Southeast Asia, technological competitiveness of high-value-added products, active development of overseas channels by enterprises amid domestic demand adjustments, and phased order releases brought about by the global manufacturing recovery. With the continuous implementation of infrastructure investment in countries along the “Belt and Road”, China’s steel exports are expected to maintain a steady growth trend in 2026.