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Where does China get its steel? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $10.5 billion of steel (8.4 million tonnes), 3% of the world total. Its main sources were Japan (27%), Indonesia (25%) and South Korea (17%). China was the world’s 11th-largest importer of steel.

Summary

Value
$10.5billion
Tonnes
8.4million tonnes
Share of world total
3%
World rank
11th
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Japan2.8Tonnes: 2,545,345USD per tonne: $1,10426.9%Sea
Indonesia2.6Tonnes: 1,571,700USD per tonne: $1,63524.6%Sea
South Korea1.8Tonnes: 1,934,743USD per tonne: $94117.4%Sea
Germany0.56Tonnes: 228,889USD per tonne: $2,4265.3%Sea
Taiwan0.49Tonnes: 368,461USD per tonne: $1,3314.7%Sea
Sweden0.46Tonnes: 151,809USD per tonne: $3,0554.4%Sea
United States0.28Tonnes: 44,529USD per tonne: $6,2492.7%Sea
Russia0.22Tonnes: 459,477USD per tonne: $4802.1%Sea
Hong Kong re-exports0.19Tonnes: 148,554USD per tonne: $1,2831.8%Sea
Oman0.16Tonnes: 375,541USD per tonne: $4291.5%Sea
France0.15Tonnes: 25,008USD per tonne: $6,0361.4%Sea
Austria0.14Tonnes: 57,392USD per tonne: $2,3711.3%Sea
Malaysia0.09Tonnes: 76,354USD per tonne: $1,2250.9%Sea
Iran0.08Tonnes: 195,600USD per tonne: $4240.79%Sea
Italy0.08Tonnes: 19,904USD per tonne: $3,9230.75%Sea
United Kingdom0.04Tonnes: 13,774USD per tonne: $2,9390.39%Sea
Hungary0.03Tonnes: 5,614USD per tonne: $6,0290.32%Sea
Belgium re-exports0.03Tonnes: 13,576USD per tonne: $2,4610.32%Sea
Finland0.03Tonnes: 8,815USD per tonne: $3,2670.28%Sea
Switzerland0.02Tonnes: 5,496USD per tonne: $3,8200.2%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Japan has been its main source since 2024

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • Japan 2.8
  • Indonesia 2.6
  • South Korea 1.8
  • Germany 0.56
  • Taiwan 0.49

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Japan2.52.8
Indonesia0.012.6
South Korea0.711.8
Germany0.130.56
Taiwan0.30.49

Sources and methodology

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Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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