China's steel exports keep rolling: Southeast Asia takes the wheel
China's steel export shipments held a strong run through late September. In the week of Sept 22–28, volumes reached 2.76 million tonnes, up 19.3% year on year and sitting about 255,000 tonnes above the recent eight-week average. August shipments to the world hit 10.31 million tonnes — back above the 10-million mark after dipping.
📊 Key figures
Week of Sep 22–28: 2.76 Mt exported, +19.3% YoY (−3.4% WoW)
Above 8-week average by ~255k tonnes
Southeast Asia took 62.7% (1.73 Mt); Singapore re-exports hit 1.33 Mt — a recent high
August global shipments: 10.31 Mt (+9.8% MoM, +6.2% YoY)
Northern ports loaded 1.76 Mt (+543.6k t WoW)
The late-September dip was only week-on-week, after four straight weekly gains. Underneath, demand stayed firm: the print ran well above the eight-week norm, and August's monthly total returned to ten-digit tonnes. This is not a market cooling — it is a market holding its line.
Why Southeast Asia leads the run
Shipments toward Southeast Asia reached 1.73 million tonnes, about 62.7% of the weekly total. That concentration is the story. Regional construction and manufacturing keep pulling Chinese steel, and the blend of price, lead time and mill relationships makes the corridor sticky. For traders, the buyer map is basically the ASEAN map.
| Dimension | Reading | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly volume | 2.76 Mt, +19.3% YoY | Demand still firm |
| SE Asia share | 62.7% (1.73 Mt) | Core buyer bloc |
| Singapore hub | 1.33 Mt re-exports, record | Redistribution node |
| August total | 10.31 Mt, back >10 Mt | Run intact |
The "Singapore hub" row is the one to watch. Re-export volume there rose to 1.33 million tonnes, a recent high. That is not end demand — it is a transshipment node redistributing Chinese steel across the region. The hub's throughput tells you where the next leg of demand sits.
The part easy to miss: Singapore's re-export jump is a logistics signal, not a consumption signal. For buyers, the choice between Singapore-transshipped lots and direct sailings changes both lead time and price — and that choice is exactly where the margin sits. Read the hub, read the market.
Where the buyers are: turning volume into leads
💡 Action list for traders
Map SE Asia buyers: with GuomaoTong (GTD), screen steel importers across ASEAN by product and port — the 62.7% share shows where orders concentrate.
Track the Singapore hub: re-export flows there flag regional redistribution; decide whether transshipped or direct sailings fit your SLA.
Watch port loadings: northern ports loaded 1.76 Mt (+543.6k t WoW) — port momentum often leads price moves.
Screen by product: long products, coils, plates — each has its own buyers; filter by HS code to find the tightest market.
Bottom line: steel exports are not slowing. The volume is there, Southeast Asia is paying, and Singapore is moving it around. GuomaoTong (GTD) covers trade data from 200+ countries and regions, searchable by company, product and port. Don't wait until competitors lock in the ASEAN mills' allocations before you start calling.