BEIJING- China's steel product exports will drop significantly in 2020 compared with previous years due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on demand, an official from the country's steel industry body said on Monday.

Wu Jingjing, deputy director of the China Iron and Steel Industry Association, also told a webinar held by the Singapore Exchange that enquiries about orders for Chinese steel fell dramatically in April and May as the pandemic spread and he is not optimistic about exports this quarter.

Because of sluggish demand in overseas markets, imports of steel into China are expected to rise this quarter, Wu added.

(Reporting by Min Zhang and Tom Daly, editing by Louise Heavens) ((tom.daly@thomsonreuters.com; +86 10 5669 2119;))