China's steel exports increased by 5.7% year on year to around 10.5 million tons in March, the fourth highest in history. The average daily export volume grew 17.3% from the previous two months, reaching 337,000 tons. Exports are expected to remain high in April, mainly due to the acceleration in exporting before the anti-dumping (AD) duty ruling.

China's total steel exports in the first quarter grew by 6.3% year on year to around 27.43 million tons. This wave of export boom was not only due to weak domestic demand but also due to the rush to export goods before trade barriers were upgraded.

Several countries have already imposed AD duties on Chinese steel products, and 20 trade investigations are underway in 16 other countries, which may further affect China's steel exports.

It is expected that trade lawsuits against Chinese steel products will increase in the second half of the year. Besides, the uncertainty brought about by the US tariff policy also poses challenges to China’s steel export market. In May, China’s steel exports are expected to drop significantly.