GACC: China's 2025 stainless net exports jump 12%; December's hit record

China's stainless steel net exports surged 11.9% year-on-year to 3.51 million tonnes in 2025, driven by a record-breaking performance in December, according to new data released by the General Administration of Customs (GACC) on January 20.

Exports during December soared 19.7% on-year to 485,000 tonnes, the data show. The year-end spike reflects an accelerated export push ahead of China's reinstatement of an export licensing system for all steel products including stainless, effective from January 1 this year. Announced jointly by the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) and