The latest data released by Chinese customs show that national exports of finished steel in October totaled 2.71 million mt, up 240,000 mt or 8.9 percent month on month and down 1.91 million mt or 41.3 percent year on year. From January to October, China's total exports of finished steel reached 18.41 million mt, down 34.66 million mt or 65.3 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, China's imports of finished steel for October totaled 1.48 million mt, down 430,000 mt or 22.5 percent month on month and up 340,000 mt or 29.8 percent year on year. In the January-October period, imports of finished steel totaled 14.86 million mt, up 1.42 million mt or 10.6 percent year on year.
In October, China's net exports of finished steel stood at 1.23 million mt, while net exports of finished steel from January to October reached 3.55 million mt.
China's semis exports in October stood at zero, down 110,000 mt year on year. Thus, in the January-October period semis exports totaled just 10,000 mt, down 1.23 million mt or 99.2 percent year on year. Meanwhile, semis imports in October stood at 330,000 mt, up 50,000 mt or 17.9 percent month on month and up 310,000 mt year on year. Total imports of the subject product in the January-October period stood at 4.19 million mt, up 4.04 million mt year on year.
As a result, China's net imports of semi-finished steel in October amounted to 330,000 mt. In the first ten months of this year, net semis imports reached 4.18 million mt.
China's crude steel export volume in October reached 2.85 million mt; meanwhile, net exports of crude steel in October came to 960,000 mt. Net imports of crude steel in the January-October period totaled 440,000 mt.
Meanwhile, China's coke exports reached 50,000 mt in the month of October, up 10,000 mt month on month and down 480,000 mt or 90.6 percent year on year. From January to October, the country's total coke exports amounted to 420,000 mt, down 11.16 million mt or 96.4 percent year on year.
China's iron ore imports in October totaled 45.47 million mt, down 19.08 million mt or 29.6 percent month on month and up 14.85 million mt or 48.5 percent year on year. From January to October, China's iron ore imports came to 514.81 million mt, up 138.12 million mt or 36.7 percent compared with the same period last year.