According to the latest data from the Chinese customs authorities, in December last year China's steel exports amounted to 3.72 million mt, down 480,000 mt from November but up 30.53 percent compared to the same month of 2010. In the whole of 2011, China's total steel exports came to 48.88 million mt, an increase of 14.9 percent year on year.
On the other hand, China's steel imports in December totaled 1.19 million mt, decreasing by 40,000 mt month on month and down 15.6 percent year on year. In 2011, the steel imports of China stood at 15.58 million mt, declining by 5.2 percent from the previous year.