Chinese HR steel imports remain resilient in Jan-Aug despite logistics challenges

Saudi Arabia’s imports of Chinese HR steel totaled 1.49 mln tons in January-August 2026, down 4.7 pct YoY, despite significant disruptions to shipping routes and vessel availability during the period.

August imports, however, increased 26.4 pct YoY to 182,800 tons, although shipments declined 11 pct from July. The August increase was driven entirely by HR coil, while imports of HR sheets/plates fell sharply.

Table 1: Chinese HR steel imports into Saudi Arabia

Chinese HR coil imports reached 135,600 tons in August, up 146.1 pct YoY and 82.9 pct MoM. In contrast, HR sheets/plates imports fell 47.3 pct YoY to 47,200 tons, and were down 64.0 pct from July.

For January-August, HR coil imports increased 6.5 pct YoY to 982,600 tons, while HR sheets/plates declined 20.8 pct to 504,400 tons. The data indicate a significant shift in the composition of Chinese HR steel shipments to Saudi Arabia toward coils.

Among HR coils, imports of material below 3 mm reached 83,000 tons in August, up 133.5 pct YoY and 37.3 pct MoM. Shipments of coils above 10 mm also increased sharply to 43,500 tons, compared with 3,500 tons in July and 8,400 tons in August 2025. Imports of 3-10 mm coils, meanwhile, declined 30.7 pct YoY to 7,700 tons.

Table 2: Chinese HR coil imports by thickness

The monthly import pattern has been uneven this year. Chinese HR steel shipments to Saudi Arabia fell to around 73,000 tons in April, before recovering to 154,000 tons in May and 237,000 tons in June. Imports then eased to 205,000 tons in July and 183,000 tons in August. The April decline came during the disruption to Gulf shipping routes following the US-Iran conflict, while Jeddah became an important alternative gateway for some rerouted vessels and cargoes in the following months, helping maintain Saudi-bound steel flows.

By late July and August, Houthi restrictions and attacks affecting Saudi-linked maritime traffic introduced a new set of risks to Red Sea shipping. However, the August customs data do not yet indicate a broad-based disruption to Chinese HR steel flows.

Table 3: Chinese HR sheets/plates imports by thickness

Logistics conditions have become more challenging in September, with congestion at Jeddah and limited vessel availability making deliveries into Saudi ports more difficult. The extent to which these issues affect Chinese steel import volumes should become clearer when September customs data are released.