25 10 月, 2026
How Much Steel Does China Export Each Year?
China exported about 119 million tonnes of finished steel in 2025 — the highest annual volume on record, just above the previous peak set in 2015, according to China Customs (GACC) figures as reported in industry statistics. Volume has climbed for three years, and the first eight months of 2026 show a modest pull-back in tonnage with slightly firmer average prices. For a buyer, the useful part is what the number says about supply depth — and how it is counted.
Short answer
China’s finished steel exports have run at roughly 90 Mt in 2023, 111 Mt in 2024 and 119 Mt in 2025. Those are finished-steel export volumes published by China Customs. A number that looks different from these usually measures something else: crude steel output, all steel products including semi-finished billets and slabs, or a different HS-code boundary. So the first question to ask of any “China exported X million tonnes” claim is what was counted.
| Year | Finished steel exports | Change on prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 90.3 Mt | +36.2% |
| 2024 | 110.7 Mt | +22.7% |
| 2025 | 119.0 Mt (record) | +7.5% |
Source: China Customs (GACC) finished-steel export volumes as published in industry statistics. Monthly releases are preliminary and are revised; historical values can shift slightly between publications.
Why the figure depends on who counted it
Steel trade statistics are assembled from different baskets, and each basket gives a different total. Four differences explain almost every conflicting number you will see:
- Finished steel versus all steel products — semi-finished material (billets, blooms, slabs) is reported separately in some series and included in others.
- Crude steel — a production figure. It is often quoted next to export volumes and is not comparable with them.
- HS boundary — Chapter 72 covers most flat and long products, while downstream articles such as pipe fittings, fasteners and structures sit in Chapter 73 and drop out of “steel” totals even though they left the country as steel.
- Mirror statistics — the importing country’s records differ from the exporter’s because of transshipment, re-export and how a product is classified at entry.
A supplier quoting a volume without naming the source, the year and the definition is not giving you a fact you can use.
What the export mix looks like
Volume alone hides what is actually being shipped. In 2025 the split of finished steel exports was roughly as follows:
| Product group | Share of 2025 finished steel exports |
|---|---|
| Flat products (plate, sheet, coil) | 61.3% |
| Bar and wire rod | 16.2% |
| Pipe and tube | 10.9% |
| Sections and profiles | 6.4% |
| Other steel products | 5.2% |
Source: 2025 industry statistics on China’s finished steel export mix. Shares are rounded.
Pipe is roughly one ninth of the flow: a deep, competitive market, but not the marginal product that sets the national total. A record year can therefore coexist with a tight market for one size or certified grade — national tonnage says nothing about your line item.
2026 so far: lower volume, firmer prices
In the first eight months of 2026, export volume ran about 3% below the same period of 2025 while the average export price edged higher — a reversal of the “more tonnes, less money” pattern of the previous three years. Two forces usually sit behind such a shift: weaker arbitrage between domestic and export prices, and control over what may leave the country. From 1 January 2026 certain steel products need an export licence, which changes documentation and allocation rather than demand. We cover the mechanics in steel export licensing and trade measures.
What this means for your order
- Read the national total as a market-depth signal, not a delivery commitment: it tells you how many mills can make your product, not when yours will sail.
- Check the product mix before you read a trend into the total. A record year in flat products can be an ordinary year in sections.
- Confirm licence and documentation coverage for your HS code before a contract fixes a shipment date, and agree in writing who handles which document.
- Follow the monthly customs release rather than annual commentary; the monthly series is what moves freight and mill order books.
- Compare against destination-market measures: duty, quota and certification change landed cost far more than a 3% swing in national tonnage.
Related reading
- Steel export licensing and trade measures
- Where the UK, US and Australia import steel from
- How many steel mills are in China
- Steel product catalogue
- Request a quotation
Frequently asked questions
How much steel does China export each year?
About 119 million tonnes of finished steel in 2025, 110.7 million tonnes in 2024 and 90.3 million tonnes in 2023, based on China Customs figures. Later revisions can change historical values slightly.
Is China the world's largest steel exporter?
Yes, by a wide margin on finished steel volumes. The next largest exporters ship a fraction of China’s tonnage, which is why Chinese export policy moves regional prices.
Does China export more steel than it uses?
No. Exports are a small share of China’s steel output; the domestic market still absorbs the large majority. That is why export volumes react so strongly to a shift in domestic demand.
Send the standard, grade, size and destination port and we will answer against that specification. See the steel product catalogue, the quality and inspection process, or request a quotation.