China’s stainless steel exports reached 446,000 tons in June 2026, up by 7.3% from May and by 14.4% year on year, achieving a single-month high for the year. In terms of imports, the figure rose to 120,000 tons, increasing by 32% month on month and by 9.8% compared to June in the previous year.

Lower export prices from Indonesia's Tsingshan drove import growth, while overseas advance ordering ahead of new EU trade rules and demand from Southeast Asia and India boosted exports.

For the first six months of 2026, total exports fell by 17.6% to 2.06 million tons, and imports dropped by 8.5% to 757,000 tons. Net exports decreased by 22% to 1.3 million tons. Strict export regulations, high customs costs, geopolitical risks, and shrinking Western markets lowered first-half totals.