China exported 405,300 tons of stainless steel in November 2025, up 13.8% from October but down 7.7% year on year, with Vietnam remaining its largest export destination. Cumulative stainless steel exports in the first 11 months reached 4.55 million tons, a slight year-on-year decline of 0.7%, while shipments to Vietnam, South Korea, and Indonesia continued to grow. 

Over the same period, stainless steel imports totaled 1.37 million tons, plunging 20.8% year on year, with November imports falling nearly 14% from a year earlier to 112,000 tons. As a result, China’s net stainless steel exports in January-November increased 11.6% year on year to 3.17 million tons. 

Market participants noted that India’s extension of BIS certification exemptions until March 2026, along with steady infrastructure demand in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, supports stainless steel demand.