The country exported a total of 6.17 million tons of steel products in May, the Shanghai Securities News said yesterday, citing a government official.

Total exports of steel products rose 117 percent during the January-May period to 27.44 million tons, Yang Hongbin, vice special commissioner with the Ministry of Commerce, said at a steel forum Saturday.

Imports of steel products in the first five months of this year fell 6 percent year on year to 7.28 million tons, Yang said.