According to statistics from the Stainless Steel Council of China Iron and Steel Association, China imported around 112,000 tons of stainless steel products in November, falling by 10% compared to the previous month and by 14% from the same month a year ago.

Among them, shipments from South Korea and Taiwan grew, and volumes from Indonesia, Japan, and Vietnam fell. Specifically, imports from Indonesia dropped by 16% month on month and by 17% year on year to 87,300 tons.

The downward trend persists across 2025, with total imports through November reaching 1.37 million tons, a year-on-year reduction of 21%.

Although most regions experienced declines, Vietnam bucked the trend with a 359% surge in export volume to China. In November, the top five sources account for more than 93% of China's total import market.