How much steel does China produce and export?
China is the largest producer of steel: 980 million tonnes in 2025, 52% of the world's 1.9 billion tonnes (USGS MCS). It is the largest exporter by value: $19.4 billion in 2024, 28% of world exports of hot-rolled steel coil (HS 7208) (CEPII BACI). Its biggest customer is Vietnam, which takes 24% of its steel exports by value.
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China's steel production
| World rank | Production (tonnes) | Share of world | Ten-year growth | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 980 million tonnes | 52% | — | 2025 |
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, MCS 2026.
China's steel exports
| World rank | Export value | Share of world exports | Quantity (tonnes) | Average value per tonne | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $19.4 billion | 28% | 32.8 million t | $591 | 2024 |
CEPII BACI international trade database (HS22, V202601), HS 7208 (Flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel, hot-rolled, not clad).
Where China's steel goes
| Destination | Value | Share of China's exports |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | $4.7B | 24% |
| United Arab Emirates | $1.7B | 8.9% |
| Saudi Arabia | $1.7B | 8.8% |
| South Korea | $1.4B | 7.4% |
| Turkey (Türkiye) | $1.2B | 5.9% |
China as a buyer of steel
Of its $1.1 billion of steel imports in 2024, 65% came from Japan and 32% from South Korea, among 45 suppliers.
Cite as: Commodity Origins, "China steel: production, exports and prices", https://commodityorigins.com/countries/CHN/steel/ (CC BY 4.0). Rankings count only countries reporting to the sources named; this page is shown only for top-five producers or exporters with at least 3% of the world total. Report an issue with this page.