China’s steel exports decline in August, iron ore imports surge

China's finished steel product exports decreased slightly in August on month-on-month basis, but remained above 4 million mt, according to the data released by the Chinese customs authorities. In August, China's finished steel imports and iron ore imports increased, both month on month and year on year.
 
In August, China's finished steel product exports amounted to 4.19 million mt, decreasing by 250,000 mt as compared to July this year, but increasing by 49.6 percent year on year. In January-August this year, China's finished steel product exports reached 32.94 million mt, increasing by 6.5 percent as compared to the same period last year.
 
As for imports, in August China's finished steel product imports reached 1.35 million mt, increasing by 110,000 mt as compared to July this year and increasing by 2.96 percent year on year. In January-August this year, China's finished steel product imports amounted to 10.62 million mt, decreasing by five percent as compared to the same period last year.
 
Meanwhile, China's semi-finished steel imports amounted to 80,000 mt in August, while they totaled 400,000 mt in the first eight months of the current year.
 
China's coke exports reached 250,000 mt in August, increasing by 70,000 mt as compared to July. In the first eight months of the current year, China exported 2.87 million mt of coke, increasing by 31 percent as compared to the same period last year.
 
In August, China imported 59.09 million mt of iron ore, increasing by 4.54 million mt as compared to July and up 32.5 percent year on year. In January-August, China's iron ore imports reached 447.57 million mt, increasing by 10.6 percent as compared to the same period last year.