Against the wave of steel trade protectionism, which has seen 14 trade protection cases filed against Chinese steel since August, China's steel exports reached 77.49 million tons in the first eight months of 2025, up 10% year-on-year, an increase of 6.77 million tons. While exports to countries imposing anti-dumping measures have declined significantly, shipments to other regions have surged.
This year, China's steel exports continue to flow primarily to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
In terms of growth, Vietnam in Southeast Asia saw a sharp drop in exports due to anti-dumping actions, but increases in other Southeast Asian countries offset this decline, resulting in a slight overall regional growth of 300,000 tons. In East and South Asia, exports to Japan, South Korea, and India have fallen due to anti-dumping measures. The most notable growth has been in the Middle East and Africa, where exports increased by nearly 4 million tons combined, with standout performances from Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. Nigeria's imports rose significantly due to growing infrastructure demand and a lack of local steel production capacity. South America followed with an increase of 1.28 million tons, driven mainly by Peru's infrastructure-driven demand.
Tianyingtai Steel Pipe has reported increased exports to Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Peru, Panama, and North Africa this year.
