China’s steel sheet/plate exports totaled 38.48 million mt in 2019, 4.3 percent below the previous year, according to the Chinese customs authorities. Despite some improvement in sales to foreign customers in December (for shipment in the first quarter of 2020), overall flat steel exports in 2019 were lower amid healthy demand and high prices in the local market.
In December last year, China’s sheet/plate shipments abroad amounted to 2.72 million mt, down 19.1 percent year on year, 3.8 percentage points faster than the year-on-year decrease in November.