In 2013, China's total crude steel output was 779 million mt, up 7.5 percent year on year, according to a report on the overall situation in Chinese industry in 2013 released by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Meanwhile, China's total finished steel output in the given year amounted to 1.07 billion mt, up 11.4 percent year on year. China's crude steel output in the year in question accounted for 48.5 percent of total global crude steel output, up 1.8 percentage points year on year.
In addition, in 2013 the output increase rates for heavy rails, long products, medium and extra-thick plates, hot and cold rolled plates, pre-painted galvanized iron (PPGI), electrical steel and steel pipes were 33.4 percent, 12.5 percent, 3.0 percent, 10.4 percent, 11.4 percent, 28.4 percent and 7.7 percent respectively, all on year-on-year basis.
In 2013, China's average export price of finished steel amounted to $854/mt, down 7.6 percent year on year. Meanwhile, the average import price of finished steel amounted to $1,211.1/mt in the given year, down 7.1 percent year on year. According to the MIIT's data, in 2013 China imported 6.017 million mt of finished steel from Japan, 4.246 million mt of finished steel from South Korea and 1.142 million mt from the European Union. As for finished steel exports, China exported 17.425 million mt to ASEAN countries, 9.724 million mt to South Korea, 7.186 million mt to the Middle East, 4.972 million mt to South America, 4.561 million mt to Africa and 3.613 million mt to the European Union.
As stated by the MIIT, in 2013 China's respective steel consumption volumes in the construction industry, the machinery industry, automotive industry, energy industry, shipping industry and home appliance industry amounted to 380 million mt, 144 million mt, 46.5 million mt, 31 million mt, 12.5 million mt and 10 million mt, up 4.4 percent, 4.0 percent, 11.2 percent, 4.0 percent, 21.9 percent and 8.7 percent year on year, respectively.