In the first four months of this year, China’s overall finished steel exports amounted to 26.4 million mt, down 27 percent, with 2.6 million metric tons of this volume arriving in Latin America, up 15 percent, both on year-on-year basis, according to Alacero, the Latin American steel association. Accordingly, in the given period Latin America’s share in China’s finished steel exports increased from 6.3 percent to 9.8 percent year on year. In April alone, Latin America's finished steel imports from China remained almost stable month on month at 661,000 mt, though rising by 41 percent compared to April 2016.
In the January-April period this year, China's main finished steel export destinations in Latin America were Chile which received 518,000 mt, equal to a 20 percent share of China's total finished steel exports to Latin America, Central America with 508,000 mt equal to a 19 percent share, and Peru with 389,000 mt amounting to a 15 percent share.
Meanwhile, in the same period, Latin America received 1.7 million mt of flat steel and 535,000 mt of long steel from China.