According to the data issued by the Chinese customs authorities, in 2010 China exported 42.56 million mt of finished steel products, up 73 percent, while it imported 16.43 million mt of finished steel products, down 6.8 percent - both on year-on-year basis.
In December 2010, China's exports of finished steel products reached 2.85 million mt, down by 60,000 mt month on month and decreasing by 14.67 percent year on year. In the given month, China's imports of finished steel products reached 1.41 million mt, up by 30,000 mt month on month but down by 4.73 percent year on year.
China's iron ore imports in 2010 registered a 1.4 percent year-on-year decrease to 618.63 million mt. Meanwhile, the figure for December alone came to 58.08 million mt, up by 700,000 mt month on month and down by 6.56 percent year on year.
In 2010, China exported 140,000 mt of steel billets, up by 299.1 percent year on year, while it imported 640,000 mt of steel billets, down by 86.1 percent year on year. China exported 70,000 mt of steel billets in December last year.