China reduced stainless steel exports by 34.8% y/y in January–February

In January–February, China reduced its stainless steel exports by 34.8% year-over-year – to 492,700 metric tons, according to SteelDaily.

In January, this figure stood at 232,600 tons, the lowest level since March 2020, primarily due to the implementation of a new export licensing system in the country at the start of this year. In February, volumes amounted to approximately 260,000 tons, but remained below last year’s levels.

In January-February, China imported 239,700 tons of stainless steel (-25.5% year-on-year), with over 90% of supplies coming from Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea. In February, these volumes amounted to 109,200 tons (-16.3% month-on-month and -31.7% year-on-year).

China’s export activity is expected to remain subdued in the near term due to rising freight costs, longer transit times, and geopolitical tensions; overseas shipments will also be constrained by export licensing requirements.

As a reminder, China reduced its stainless steel exports by 0.3% year-on-year in 2025 to 5.03 million tons, while imports totaled 1.52 million tons last year, down 19% year-on-year.

As reported by GMK Center, China reduced steel exports by 8.1% year-on-year in January-February, to 15.59 million tons. Steel imports into the country during the first two months of this year fell by 21.7% year-on-year, to 827,000 tons.