MYSTEEL: Mid-East conflict to deal heavy blow to China's No. 2 steel export market

The escalating military conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran is set to cripple China's steel exports to the Middle East, with countries reliant on transiting the Strait of Hormuz bearing the brunt of the disruption, Mysteel Global notes.

Data from China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) show that China's steel exports to major Middle Eastern countries accounted for 15.6% of its total steel shipments in 2025, making the region its second-largest export market after Southeast Asia. Specifically, exports to the seven Persian Gulf countries – Saudi Arabia,