The China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) has announced that in May this year China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) issued iron ore import licenses for a total of 115.2417 million mt, up 8.34 percent month on month, valued at $7.738 billion. In the January-May period of the current year, the MOC issued iron ore import licenses for a total of 611.4833 million mt, valued at $46.072 billion.
In May this year, the iron ore import licenses issued by China for Australian and Brazilian iron ore amounted to 71.763 million mt and 21.3892 million mt respectively, up 19.32 percent and down 11.34 percent month on month, with respective values of $4.769 billion and $1.533 billion. In the January-May period of the current year, the iron ore import licenses issued for Australian and Brazilian iron ore totaled 367.2066 million mt and 123.8443 million mt, valued at $27.502 billion and $9.924 billion, respectively.
Licenses issued for imports of Indian iron ore in May amounted to 4.1220 million mt, down 12.87 percent month on month, valued at $283 million, while licenses issued for iron ore from other countries amounted to 17.9675 million mt, valued at $1.154 billion. In the January-May period this year, the import licenses issued for iron ore from India and other countries amounted to 24.749 million mt and 95.6834 million mt, valued at $1.667 billion and $6.978 billion, respectively.