1. Stainless steel import and export volume
(1)stainless steel imports
According to the statistics of China Customs: In September 2025, the import volume of stainless steel in China was about 120,300 tons, an increase of 3,200 tons month-on-month, an increase of 2.7%; an increase of 500 tons year-on-year, an increase of 0.4%.
From January to September 2025, China's stainless steel imports totaled approximately 1.1379 million tons, a decrease of 309,000 tons year-on-year, representing a reduction of 21.4%.
(2)stainless steel export volume
According to the statistics of China Customs: In September 2025, the export volume of China stainless steel was about 418,500 tons, a decrease of 29,400 tons month-on-month, a decrease of 6.6%; a decrease of 34,200 tons year-on-year, a decrease of 7.6%.
From January to September 2025, China's stainless steel exports totaled approximately 3.7827 million tons, an increase of 87,800 tons or 2.4% year-on-year.
In September, domestic stainless steel exports decreased month-on-month, mainly due to a decrease in cold-rolled coil volume, which decreased by 20,600 tons month-on-month.
(3)stainless steel net exports
According to the statistics of Chinese customs data: in September 2025, the net export volume of domestic stainless steel was about 298,200 tons, a decrease of 32,500 tons month-on-month, a decrease of 9.8%; a decrease of 34,700 tons year-on-year, a decrease of 10.4%.
From January to September 2025, the domestic net export of stainless steel accumulated about 2.6448 million tons, an increase of 396,800 tons or 17.7% year-on-year.
2. Situation of the top five importing regions
China's stainless steel imports are concentrated in Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea. In September 2025, the imports from these three regions amounted to 107,000 tons, accounting for 89.2% of the total imports. The cumulative imports from these three regions reached approximately 1.022 million tons, representing 89.8% of the total imports.
In September, the volume of the top five import regions was about 111,000 tons, accounting for 92.4 percent of the total import volume. The cumulative import volume of the five regions was about 1.057 million tons, accounting for 92.9 percent of the total domestic import volume.
[In September, the volume of stainless steel imported from Indonesia increased by 0.5% month-on-month and 4.5% year-on-year]
According to the statistics of China Customs: In September 2025, China imported about 95,800 tons of stainless steel from Indonesia, an increase of 0.05 million tons month-on-month, with a growth rate of 0.5%; an increase of 0.41 million tons year-on-year, with a growth rate of 4.5%.
Among these, hot-rolled steel production reached approximately 0.37 million tons, marking a 74.2% month-on-month decrease and a 70.6% year-on-year decline. Cold-rolled steel output stood at 7.69 million tons, showing a 1.72 million ton increase (28.8% growth) month-on-month and a 3.72 million ton rise (93.5% growth) year-on-year. Slab production totaled about 1.26 million tons, with a 2503.6% month-on-month surge and a 0.5% year-on-year increase. Square billet and other steel billet production decreased by 1.73 million tons (86.8% reduction) month-on-month and 2.26 million tons (89.6% decrease) year-on-year.
From January to September 2025, China's cumulative stainless steel imports from Indonesia amounted to approximately 913,700 tons, a decrease of 301,500 tons or 24.8% year-on-year. Among these, hot-rolled steel imports totaled about 134,100 tons, down 29,600 tons or 18.1% year-on-year; cold-rolled steel imports reached about 628,100 tons, up 46,100 tons or 7.9% year-on-year; slab steel imports were approximately 60,300 tons, down 66,200 tons or 52.4% year-on-year; and billet and other steel billet imports totaled about 86,300 tons, down 251,200 tons or 74.4% year-on-year.
3. Situation of main export regions
In September 2025, the export volume of the first ten regions of the Chinese mainland was about 227,000 tons, accounting for about 54.2%. From January to September 2025, the cumulative amount is about 2.079 million tons, accounting for about 55%. In September 2025, the export volume of the top 20 regions in the Chinese mainland was about 327,000 tons, accounting for about 78.1%. From January to September 2025, the cumulative amount is about 2.962 million tons, accounting for about 78.3%. Exports to Italy and Vietnam saw a significant decline, with monthly decreases of 10,000 tons and 7,100 tons respectively, representing drops of 56.2% and 15%. The market restocking phase has concluded, demand is weakening, and exports to multiple regions are now declining. The demand for stainless steel during the peak season fell short of expectations.
On September 1, according to an U.S. executive order, import tariffs ranging from 10% to 41% were imposed on 69 economies, including the European Union, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries. The new tariffs took effect at midnight Eastern Time on September 7, with some countries having their implementation period extended until October due to negotiations. The U.S. executive order explicitly included a "40% re-export punitive tariff" clause, which will directly impact China's export model through Southeast Asian countries.
In September, the volume of China stainless steel exports to Southeast Asia increased only 121 tons to 115,000 tons, an increase of 0.1%, and increased by 11,400 tons, an increase of 11%.
From January to September, the cumulative volume was about 1.047 million tons, an increase of 186,000 tons year-on-year (the total domestic stainless steel exports increased only 87,800 tons year-on-year), an increase of 21.6%.
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