In the January-April period of the current year, China exported 1,939 mt of steel scrap, down 99.2 percent year on year, according to the monthly import and export data issued by the Chinese customs authorities.
Meanwhile, China imported 90,000 mt of scrap in the given period, down 85.3 percent year on year.
China has announced plans to limit imports of eight different scrap categories, including aluminum, steel and copper - starting from July 1 of the current year. The scrap materials in question were on the “unrestricted” materials list, but will be subject to restrictions and government approval under the new measures.
In 2018, China imported 1.34 million mt of steel scrap, down 42.2 percent year on year. China’s steel scrap imports have indicated year-on-year decreases for nine consecutive years, falling to their lowest level in 2018. Due to the abovementioned new policy, China’s steel scrap imports will likely decrease further in 2019.