Steel prices in the UAE — what was actually paid in 2023
A large share of what lands in Jebel Ali leaves again. The United Arab Emirates functions as the region's redistribution point for the Gulf, East Africa and the subcontinent, so both columns on this page are inflated relative to what the country actually consumes, and the export unit values carry a trading margin rather than a mill price.
Last updated
No survey, no index: the UAE declared these values and tonnages, and the division is ours. How it is done and where it breaks down →
- 5,918,217 tsteel imported (2023)
- 2,514,028 tsteel exported
- Net importer3,404,189 t short
Imports
What the UAE imported and what it paid, 2023
| HS | Product | Tonnes | USD/tonne | Value (USD m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7208 | Hot-rolled coil and plate | 3,667,712 | 724 | 2,656.3 |
| 7216 | Angles, shapes and sections | 664,764 | 945 | 628.4 |
| 7214 | Hot-rolled bar | 566,771 | 652 | 369.5 |
| 7210 | Coated sheet (galvanized and painted) | 486,505 | 921 | 448.0 |
| 7217 | Wire | 177,787 | 660 | 117.4 |
| 730630 | Welded tube, circular, non-alloy | 135,477 | 985 | 133.4 |
| 7209 | Cold-rolled sheet | 128,746 | 723 | 93.0 |
| 730661 | Welded hollow section, square and rectangular | 57,628 | 917 | 52.8 |
| 7212 | Narrow coated strip | 17,583 | 1,178 | 20.7 |
| 7213 | Wire rod | 15,244 | 655 | 10.0 |
Exports
What the UAE exported and what it received, 2023
| HS | Product | Tonnes | USD/tonne | Value (USD m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7214 | Hot-rolled bar | 645,900 | 690 | 445.6 |
| 7210 | Coated sheet (galvanized and painted) | 539,224 | 1,076 | 580.1 |
| 7216 | Angles, shapes and sections | 512,640 | 959 | 491.5 |
| 7208 | Hot-rolled coil and plate | 265,097 | 938 | 248.6 |
| 7213 | Wire rod | 179,251 | 610 | 109.3 |
| 7217 | Wire | 151,846 | 2,095 | 318.1 |
| 730630 | Welded tube, circular, non-alloy | 136,896 | 1,060 | 145.1 |
| 730661 | Welded hollow section, square and rectangular | 47,671 | 899 | 42.9 |
| 7212 | Narrow coated strip | 19,060 | 1,052 | 20.0 |
| 7209 | Cold-rolled sheet | 16,443 | 821 | 13.5 |
What the United Arab Emirates numbers say
- the UAE buys at anything from 652 USD per tonne for hot-rolled bar to 1,178 for narrow coated strip, 1.8× apart, with a trading margin sitting inside the higher numbers.
- Hot-rolled coil and plate is 62 % of inbound tonnage, though a share of it leaves again rather than being consumed.
- The lane mix is concentrated, China holding 61 % of the top five.
- On hot-rolled coil and plate the country pays 724 and receives 938 USD per tonne, 214 apart — in a re-export hub that gap is a trader's spread as much as a processor's.
Buying and selling into the UAE
- The UAE is the region's re-export hub as much as a consumer: a significant share of what arrives in Jebel Ali leaves again for the wider Gulf, East Africa and the Indian subcontinent, which inflates both the import and the export column relative to domestic consumption.
- Jebel Ali handles containers and breakbulk; Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are used for project cargo. Transit from Türkiye is eight to twelve days.
- ESMA registration applies to some construction products; steel for fabrication generally moves on the mill certificate plus a certificate of origin.
- Because so much material is traded rather than consumed, unit values on the export side reflect a trader's margin rather than a mill price.
Main supplying countries
Hot-rolled coil and plate (HS 7208)
| Supplier | Tonnes | USD/tonne |
|---|---|---|
| China | 2,047,701 | 698 |
| Partner 699 | 624,558 | 720 |
| Japan | 414,148 | 664 |
| Australia | 137,698 | 611 |
| Saudi Arabia | 118,742 | 687 |
Angles, shapes and sections (HS 7216)
| Supplier | Tonnes | USD/tonne |
|---|---|---|
| China | 187,812 | 729 |
| Oman | 108,097 | 718 |
| Bahrain | 103,612 | 1,755 |
| Türkiye | 73,570 | 887 |
| Partner 699 | 57,001 | 700 |
Hot-rolled bar (HS 7214)
| Supplier | Tonnes | USD/tonne |
|---|---|---|
| Oman | 556,221 | 644 |
| China | 3,272 | 1,159 |
| Partner 699 | 3,219 | 939 |
| Türkiye | 1,282 | 818 |
| Qatar | 1,200 | 609 |
Coated sheet (galvanized and painted) (HS 7210)
| Supplier | Tonnes | USD/tonne |
|---|---|---|
| China | 343,695 | 866 |
| Partner 699 | 60,961 | 999 |
| Korea, Rep. | 23,935 | 1,063 |
| Japan | 21,273 | 1,183 |
| Germany | 9,653 | 1,423 |
Buying into the UAE?
For cargo into or through the UAE, tell us whether the material stays in the country or moves on — the documentation and the packing differ, and so does the price.
How United Arab Emirates import values moved, 2021–2023
Declared import unit value by heading and year, USD per tonne
| Year | Hot-rolled coil and plate | Hot-rolled bar | Welded hollow sections |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 860 | 947 | 1,089 |
| 2022 | 894 | 657 | 1,130 |
| 2023 | 724 | 652 | 917 |
Each column is one customs heading, each row one year, and a heading appears only if this market reported it three times or more. There is no summary column: the headings measure different products, so an average across them would be arithmetic without meaning. Isolated high cells are specialised mixes, published as declared.
Other markets
Questions about steel prices in United Arab Emirates
What does steel cost in the UAE?
Hot-rolled coil imports into the UAE cleared at 724 USD per tonne in 2023. The UAE is a re-export hub as much as a consumer, so part of the import tonnage leaves again and the unit values reflect a wide product mix.
What is the difference between free zone and mainland import?
Goods entering a free zone are not in UAE customs territory and pay no duty until they move to the mainland. For a trader re-exporting onward, that deferral matters; for a contractor consuming the steel locally, it only adds a step.
Which coating class suits Gulf coastal construction?
Z350 or heavier, or hot-dip galvanizing after fabrication. The combination of high humidity, salt aerosol and temperature puts most of the coastal UAE at ISO 9223 category C4 or C5, where Z275 gives a materially shorter life than inland.
Which ports handle UAE steel imports?
Jebel Ali is the main gateway and the main re-export hub; Khalifa Port serves Abu Dhabi and the industrial zones; Sharjah and Hamriyah handle smaller consignments. Jebel Ali has the deepest sailing frequency from Asia and Türkiye.