SunSirs: A Brief Overview of the Price Trend of Color Coated Sheets in October (October 1-31)

Price trend

According to the commodity market analysis system of SunSirs, the price of color coated sheets fell slightly this month. On October 1st, the market price of color coated sheets was 6,550 RMB/ton; on October 30th, the price was 6,517 RMB/ton. The average price of color coated sheets this month decreased by 0.503% compared to the beginning of the month, but increased by 0.261% compared to the same period last year. 

Analysis and Commentary

Galvanized sheet: Prices for galvanized sheet rose initially this month before falling. Prices were relatively stable at the beginning of the month, increased in the middle, and gradually declined towards the end. On October 1st, the price of galvanized sheet was 4,192 RMB/ton, and on October 30th, it was 4,198 RMB/ton, representing a 0.143% increase from the beginning of the month and a 4.59% decrease compared to the same period last year. Downstream demand in the coated steel market remained lukewarm, resulting in weak market transactions.

In September 2025, China's total imports of coated steel sheets (strips) reached 84,700 tons, a month-on-month decrease of 2.71% and a year-on-year decrease of 12.68%. From January to September 2025, China's total imports of coated steel sheets (strips) reached 693,100 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 19.11%. Steel exports in September 2025 reached 10.47 million tons, a month-on-month increase of 10.1% and a year-on-year increase of 3.6%; cumulative exports from January to September reached 87.96 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 9.2%. Cumulative imports from January to September reached 4.53 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 12.6%. In September 2025, China's steel exports continued to show year-on-year growth, exceeding the 10 million ton mark again after three months. According to the latest customs data, China's galvanized sheet exports did indeed maintain strong growth momentum in September 2025.

Over the past decade, China's galvanized sheet (strip) exports have exhibited a clear "M"-shaped double-peak pattern. After the initial peak in 2016, the industry bottomed out in 2020 under the dual pressures of trade frictions and the pandemic. Subsequently, driven by the recovery of global demand and the early resumption of domestic production, it rebounded rapidly, reaching a record high of 18.99 million tons in 2024, entering a new level of scale. This growth momentum continues to be evident, with exports reaching 15.7223 million tons in the first nine months of 2025, completing 82.79% of the total for 2024, demonstrating a strong expansion trend.

The evolution of China's galvanized sheet trade structure is highlighted by a set of comparative data: imports decreased from 3.002 million tons in 2015 to 1.1262 million tons in 2024, while exports surged from 11.39 million tons to 18.99 million tons. This "ebb and flow" trend directly reflects the leap in the competitiveness of domestic industries. The continued decline in imports reflects that domestically produced materials can now fully meet domestic demand in terms of quality and cost, achieving a solid "domestic demand substitution"; while the strong expansion of exports signifies that China's galvanized sheet (strip) has become an indispensable link in the global supply chain, successfully shifting from "reliance on imports" to "supplying the world."

Market outlook

In September 2025, exports of coated steel sheets (strips) reached a near three-year high, reflecting both sustained demand in overseas markets and a concentrated shipping mentality ahead of the "export by buyer's order" ban. However, the export market faces structural challenges: firstly, the divergence between export value and volume reveals that the extensive growth model of "trading volume for price" has not fundamentally changed; secondly, the "export by buyer's order" ban is reshaping the market landscape—although regional differences in enforcement have led to divergent order performance among steel mills in October, in the long run, the policy will force the industry towards standardized development. Based on export volumes from January to September and previous years, it is estimated that coated steel sheet (strip) exports this year may exceed 18 million tons.

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