According to Steel World Review, China’s share of global seaborne steel trade flows increased significantly in July 2026, reaching 45.7 percent; a figure that indicates the growing role of Chinese exports in the global steel market.
According to Signal Ocean, global steel trade flows amounted to around 22.2 million tonnes in July 2026. During the same period, China’s share of these flows increased from 41.6 percent in July 2025 to 45.7 percent in July 2026.
According to the report, the increase in China’s share occurred alongside growth in the country’s exports. China’s steel export flows increased by 9.1 percent compared with the same period last year, while total steel flows from all other countries worldwide, excluding China, declined by 7.9 percent to around 12 million tonnes.
Official Chinese customs data also shows that the country exported 10.121 million tonnes of steel in July. Although China’s monthly exports declined by around 1.9 percent compared with June, they remained above the 10-million-tonne mark for the third consecutive month.
In contrast, India also recorded a significant increase in steel exports in July. According to Signal Ocean, India’s steel exports grew by 51 percent compared with the same period last year; however, the country’s export volume remains significantly lower than China’s.
Pressure from Chinese Exports on Global Markets
The increase in China’s share of seaborne steel trade comes as steel flows from other countries around the world have declined. This difference indicates that China’s export supply is gaining a larger share of the international market and could intensify price competition in destination markets.
However, China’s steel exports will also face new obstacles in the final quarter of the year. According to Signal Ocean, the Arabian Peninsula’s share of global steel imports, which averaged 6.4 percent between 2022 and 2025, declined to 4.4 percent in 2026. This change is particularly important for China, as the region previously absorbed around 10 percent of China’s steel exports, while this share has declined to 5.3 percent this year.
Meanwhile, stricter European Union regulations regarding the true origin of steel could further restrict the entry of products of Chinese origin into the European market.
Overall, the latest data shows that while steel flows outside China have declined, China has increased its share of global steel trade and now accounts for nearly half of the seaborne trade flows of this product. This trend could affect competition in steel export markets in the final months of 2026.
Source: Signal Ocean / Report published in Cyprus Shipping News and American Journal of Transportation
