In the January-April period of the year, China’s exports of steel bars totaled 2.87 million mt, down 29.7 percent, year on year, while wire rod export amounted to 580,000 mt, down 11.4 percent year on year. At the same time, China’s export volumes of angles/channels came to 1.18 million mt in the given period, up 9.5 percent year on year. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic worldwide and strong demand for steel bars and wire rod in the local market exerted a negative impact on steel exports.
In April alone, China’s export of steel bar amounted to 0.82 million mt, down 17.9 percent year on year, while of wire rod and angles/channels amounted to 170,000 mt and 310,000 mt, down 8.1 percent and up 10.8 percent year on year.