India's restrictive Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification renewal process has significantly curtailed Chinese stainless steel exports. In the first ten months of 2025, China's stainless steel shipments to India plummeted by 64.4% year on year to 147,400 tons.

This move was seen as a new trade barrier despite Chinese producers such as Taigang and Tsingshan holding prior approvals. It was believed that India’s action was to protect and create room for India's domestic stainless steel industry expansion.

Meanwhile, India's consumption remains strong, reaching 5.06 million tons in 2024, yet per capita use remains low, showing strong future potential.

Indonesia has now surpassed China as the top supplier, dominating India's import market with 743,900 tons in 2024. Market participants said that India is using this technical barrier to advance an import substitution strategy, making a quick recovery for Chinese exports unlikely.