India turns net exporter of finished steel in 2025/26, data shows

India has become a net exporter of finished steel for the first time in the fiscal year ending March 31. The nation shipped 6.6 million metric tons, a significant 35.9% increase from the previous year, while imports fell by 31.7%. Crude steel prod...

By Reuters | Apr 28, 2026, 12.16 PM IST

By Neha Arora

NEW DELHI, - India turned a net exporter of finished steel in the financial year that ended on March 31, provisional government data ‌reviewed ⁠by Reuters ⁠showed on Tuesday.

Here are some key details:

The world's second-biggest crude steel producer shipped 6.6 million metric tons of finished steel in 2025/26, up 35.9% from a ⁠year ago, ‌the data showed.
Italy, Vietnam, Belgium, the UAE, ⁠and Spain were the biggest buyers of Indian finished steel.
New Delhi imported 6.5 million tons of finished steel during the fiscal year 2025/26, down 31.7% from a year earlier.
South ‌Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, and Russia were the biggest exporters of finished ⁠steel to India.
Crude steel production in the year reached 169.2 million tons, up 11.2% on year.
Finished steel consumption was at 164.2 million tons, up 8%, the data showed.

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