Chinese billet exports to GCC ease in August

Chinese billet exports to GCC countries declined in August after a sharp increase in June and July, although shipments remained significantly higher as compared to August 2025. The United Arab Emirates replaced Saudi Arabia as the largest destination during the month.

Chinese exports of semi-finished steel under HS 7207, primarily billet for this market analysis, totalled around 225,900 tons in August, down 48.2 pct month-on-month but up 209 pct YoY, according to Chinese customs data analyzed by MESTEEL.

Shipments to Saudi Arabia fell to 29,892 tons from 230,631 tons in July, while exports to Oman decreased to 47,353 tons from 107,676 tons. In contrast, deliveries to the UAE increased to 148,607 tons from 97,292 tons in July.

Table 1. Chinese billet exports to GCC – August

Chinese billet exports to GCC countries totalled approximately 1.76 mln tons in January-August 2026, compared with around 659,000 tons in the same period of 2025, an increase of 167 pct.

Saudi Arabia remained the largest destination over the eight-month period, receiving around 854,000 tons. The UAE followed with approximately 575,000 tons, while Oman received around 329,000 tons.

Table 2. Chinese billet exports to GCC – January-August