According to statistics, China's stainless steel imports totaled around 137,000 tons in November, falling by 17.9% compared to the previous month and by 12.2% from the same month a year ago.

Imports from Indonesia dropped significantly to 97,400 mt, down by 26.2% month on month and by 7.24% year on year, driven by a sharp decline in cold-rolled imports, a drop of 28,100 tons.

In terms of exports, China exported around 482,000 tons of stainless steel in November, rising by 2.7% month on month and 25% year on year. Exports of plates and coils kept stable at more than 300,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 25%, while exports of finished products continued to decline.

Regionally, exports to Europe rose by 59% month on month due to Christmas stockpiling, while shipments to Brazil surged 169% month on month. Exports to India dropped to the second-lowest in three years (19,300 tons) amid anti-dumping policies. Exports to East Asian countries grew notably.

However, with stockpiling demand ending and the intensifying impact of trade barriers, exports in December were expected to decline.