China's steel exports were on course for an all-time high in 2025, according to a Reuters analysis published on 16 September 2025, defying forecasts made early in the year that unprecedented trade barriers would drive shipments down. Exports were expected to grow 4 to 9 percent to between 115 and 120 million tonnes, beating the 2015 record of 112.4 million tonnes and the 110.7 million tonnes shipped in 2024. Shipments had risen 10 percent by volume in the first eight months of the year, though they fell 1 percent in dollar value as prices dropped. Billet exports were three times higher than a year earlier and rebar shipments rose 77 percent, while hot-rolled thin wide strip fell 23 percent. The resilience reflected how Chinese mills, unable to sell at home after the property collapse, were pushing metal into emerging markets in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa. Some 54 tariffs and other trade barriers had been launched against Chinese steel since 2024.
Source: Reuters — https://srnnews.com/analysis-china-steel-exports-poised-for-record-high-risking-further-tariff-backlash/
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