SteelOrbis Shanghai
The latest data released by the Chinese customs authorities show that China's steel exports for March totaled 4.16 million mt, up 1.05 million mt or 33.8 percent month on month and down 1.22 million mt or 22.6 percent year on year. In addition, China's total steel exports for the January-March period reached 11.39 million mt, down 2.73 million mt or 19.3 percent compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, China registered 10,000 mt of semis exports for the month of March, with total semis exports in the January-March period coming to just 90,000 mt, down 1.69 million mt or 95 percent year on year.
In March, China's steel imports amounted to 1.51 million mt, up 260,000 mt or 20.8 month on month and down 64,000 mt or 4.1 percent year on year. In addition, China's total steel imports for the January-March period reached 4.18 million mt, down 90,000 mt or 2.1 percent compared to the same period last year.
China's semis imports totaled 20,000 mt in March, with the January-March semis import figure totaling 50,000 mt, down 30,000 mt or 37.9 percent compared with the same period last year.
Thus, China's net exports of steel in March reached 2.65 million mt, up 790,000 mt month on month and down 1.15 million mt or 30.3 percent year on year, with January-March net exports of 7.21 million mt. The net imports of semis totaled 10,000 mt, with the January-March net exports of semis staying at 40,000 mt.
In terms of crude steel, in March China exported 4.39 million mt and imported 1.63 million mt of crude steel, resulting in net exports of 2.76 million mt.