In April of the current year, China imported 67.15 million mt of iron ore and iron ore concentrate, up 16.4 percent year on year and increasing by 2.6 million mt month on month, according to the figures released by China's General Administration of Customs.
In the given month, the average import price of the iron ore was $139/mt, compared to $139.3/mt in March, bringing an end to the upward trend which had lasted for five straight months.
In the January-April period this year, China imported 253.6 million mt of iron ore and iron ore concentrate, up 3.9 percent year on year. The average import price of the iron ore in the given period was $133.05/mt.
In January-April this year, China exported 560,000 mt of coke, up 92.6 percent year on year, while China exported 280,000 mt of coke in April alone, up 180,000 mt compared to March.
In January-April this year, China's total finished steel exports amounted to 19.98 million mt, up 19 percent year on year, while China exported 5.55 million mt of finished steel in April, up 270,000 mt compared to March and up 18.84 percent year on year.
In April, China imported 1.26 million mt of finished steel, up 30,000 mt month on month and 11.5 percent year on year. In the first four months of this year, China's total finished steel imports amounted to 4.49 million mt, down 0.9 percent year on year.
In January-April this year, China imported 190,000 mt of semi-finished steel, up 47 percent year on year, while China imported 40,000 mt of semi-finished steel in April. In January-April, China did not export any semi-finished steel.