The latest data released by Chinese customs show that national exports of finished steel in July totaled 1.81 million mt, up 380,000 mt or 26.6 percent month on month and down 5.4 million mt or 74.9 percent year on year. From January to July, China's total exports of finished steel reached 11.16 million mt, down 22.96 million mt or 67.3 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, China's imports of finished steel for July totaled 1.74 million mt, up 110,000 mt or 6.7 percent month on month and up 300,000 mt or 20.8 percent year on year. In the January-July period, imports of finished steel totaled 9.88 million mt, up 190,000 mt or two percent year on year.
In July, China's net exports of finished steel stood at 70,000 mt, while net exports of finished steel from January to July reached 1.28 million mt.
China's semis exports in July stood at zero, down 230,000 mt year on year. Thus, in the January-July period semis exports totaled just 10,000 mt, down 350,000 mt or 97.2 percent year on year. Meanwhile, semis imports in July stood at 570,000 mt, up 190,000 mt or 50 percent month on month and up 560,000 mt year on year. Total imports of the subject product in the January-July period stood at 3.23 million mt, up 3.12 million mt year on year.
As a result, China's net imports of finished steel in July amounted to 570,000 mt. In the first seven months of this year, net semis imports reached 3.22 million mt.
China's crude steel export volume in July reached 1.91 million mt; meanwhile, net imports of crude steel in July came to 500,000 mt. Net imports of crude steel in the January-July period totaled 1.87 million mt.
Meanwhile, China's coke exports reached 50,000 mt in the month of July, down 780,000 mt or 94 percent year on year. From January to July, the country's total coke exports amounted to 280,000 mt, down 7.99 million mt or 95.5 percent year on year.
China's iron ore imports in July totaled 58.08 million mt, up 2.79 million mt or five percent month on month and up 19.05 million mt or 48.1 percent year on year. From January to July, iron ore imports came to 355.25 million mt, up 85.64 million mt or 31.8 percent compared with the same period last year.