In the first eight months of this year, China’s overall finished steel exports amounted to 52.6 million mt, down 30 percent, with 5.0 million metric tons of this volume arriving in Latin America, up one 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 6.6 percent to 9.5 percent year on year. In August alone, Latin America's finished steel imports from China decreased 40 percent month on month to 449,000 mt, while falling by 47 percent compared to August 2016.
In the January-August period this year, China's main finished steel export destinations in Latin America were Central America which received 1.0 million mt, equal to a 20 percent share of China's total finished steel exports to Latin America, Chile with 916,000 mt equal to an 18 percent share, and Peru with 698,000 mt amounting to a 14 percent share.
Meanwhile, in the same period, Latin America received 3.4 million mt of flat steel and 901,000 mt of long steel from China.