In 2011, South Korean steel plate imports reached 4,105,874 mt, up 4.9 percent year on year and indicating an annual record for steel plate imports, as announced by the Korea Iron and Steel Association (KOSA).
Accordingly, South Korea's steel plate imports from China and Japan in the given year totaled 2.31 million mt and 1.75 million mt, with average prices of $794/mt and $955/mt respectively.
In addition, South Korean steel plate exports in 2011 reached a record volume of 1.23 million mt, up 45 percent year on year. South Korea's steel plate exports to China and Japan in 2011 respectively totaled 240,000 mt and 200,000 mt.