SteelOrbis Shanghai
The latest data released by the Chinese customs authorities show that China's finished steel exports for April totaled 4.78 million mt, up 620,000 mt or 14.9 percent month on month and down 2.38 million mt or 33.2 percent year on year. In addition, China's total steel exports for the January-April period reached 16.17 million mt, down 5.11 million mt or 23.9 percent compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, China's steel imports for April amounted to 1.5 million mt, down 10,000 mt month on month and down 130,000 mt or 7.9 percent year on year. In addition, China's total steel imports for the January-April period reached 5.68 million mt, down 220,000 mt or 2.2 percent compared to the same period last year.
Thus, China's net exports of steel in April reached 3.28 million mt, up 630,000 mt month on month and down 2.25 million mt or 40.7 percent year on year.
China registered 10,000 mt of semis exports for the month of April, with total semis exports in the January-April period coming to just 100,000 mt, down 2.55 million mt or 96.2 percent year on year. Meanwhile, China's semis imports totaled 20,000 mt in April, with the January-April semis import figure totaling 70,000 mt, down 30,000 mt or 32 percent compared with the same period last year.
In terms of crude steel, in April China exported 5.04 million mt, with net exports of 3.44 million mt.
China's coke exports for April totaled 1.34 million mt, with January-April exports of 4.28 million mt, down 16.6 percent year on year.
In April, China's iron ore imports totaled 42.85 million mt, up 7.17 million mt month on month and up 28.4 percent year on year. For the January-April period, on the other hand, total iron ore imports reached 153.49 million mt, up 15.2 percent year on year.