According to data from China’s customs, in April, China’s stainless steel imports were 194,000 tons, climbing by 27% from the previous month and hiking by 59% year on year. In the first four months of this year, the total stainless steel imports from China’s top five sources, including Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Italy, and Taiwan, were about 802,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 38%.

On the contrary, in April, China’s stainless steel exports totaled about 393,000 tons, slightly increasing by 2% month on month and growing by 4% year on year. From January to April, the total stainless steel exports of China’s top 20 destinations were about 322,000 tons, increasing by 8% year on year.