July 2026 Stainless Steel Shaped Profile Export Market Analysis: Southeast Asia Demand Strong, Export Prices Rebound Slightly

1. Export Data Review: Off-Season Not Slow, Strong Demand Resilience

In July 2026, despite being the traditional off-season for foreign trade, China's stainless steel shaped profile exports performed beyond expectations. According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs, July's single-month exports of stainless steel shaped profiles and related products reached approximately 82,000 tons, representing a month-over-month increase of about 3.5%; total export value reached approximately USD 380 million, up about 5.2% month-over-month, with export unit prices showing some recovery.

From the perspective of export destinations, the Southeast Asian market continued to maintain strong growth momentum. Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand combined accounted for approximately 28% of the month's total export volume, representing year-over-year growth of about 22%. The tariff benefits and logistics facilitation under the RCEP framework continue to play a role, giving southern China's stainless steel shaped profile enterprises significant export advantages to ASEAN markets.

2. Southeast Asia Infrastructure Accelerates, Wedge Wire Demand Robust

A major highlight of July's export data is the significant acceleration in precision wedge wire exports. According to statistics, July's wedge wire and related screen pipe shaped profile exports reached approximately 11,000 tons, representing year-over-year growth of about 35% and month-over-month growth of about 18%.

This growth is mainly driven by the accelerated implementation of water treatment and oil and gas sand control projects in the Southeast Asia region. Seawater desalination projects in Java, Indonesia, industrial wastewater treatment plants in Dong Nai, Vietnam, and oil and gas field development projects on Malaysia's east coast have all entered the peak procurement period in the second half of the year, directly driving demand for upstream filter screen pipe shaped profiles.

3. Middle East Market Steadily Recovers, Sand Screen Orders Increase

After a brief adjustment in the first quarter, the Middle East market rebounded in July. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates combined imported approximately 14,000 tons of stainless steel shaped profiles, representing month-over-month growth of about 8%.

Notably, Middle East customers' preference for high-end products has significantly improved. The proportion of high-value-added products such as nickel-based alloy shaped profiles and ultra-thin laser welding shaped profiles increased from approximately 12% in the same period last year to about 18%, reflecting the development trend of the regional oil and gas industry toward deeper water and refinement, putting forward higher quality requirements for upstream materials.

4. Market Outlook: August Outlook Cautiously Optimistic

Looking ahead to August, the stainless steel shaped profile export market is expected to be cautiously optimistic. Supporting factors include: first, Southeast Asian infrastructure projects enter the peak construction season, and demand for construction-grade shaped profiles is expected to continue releasing; second, Middle East oil and gas capital expenditures remain at a high level, and screen pipe shaped profile orders have good visibility; third, the recent slight depreciation of the RMB provides some support for export pricing.

However, the following risks also need to be noted: international freight rates remain at high levels, with Southeast Asian route freight rates up about 12% year-over-year; some countries' trade protection measures continue, and products shipped to the Indian market need to pay attention to anti-subsidy investigation dynamics; domestic stainless steel raw material price fluctuations may affect export pricing stability.

Overall, the stainless steel shaped profile export situation in the second half of 2026 is generally improving, with high-end and customized products becoming the core of competition. Innovel (Taizhou) New Materials Co., Ltd. provides various precision shaped profiles, wedge wires, and non-standard customized products. Global customers are welcome to discuss cooperation.