In 2012, China’s overall finished steel export volume amounted to 55.7321 million mt, up by 14.02 percent year on year, as stated by the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA). Three main product categories, including cold rolled products (cold rolled sheet, hot dip galvanized sheet and coated plates), hot rolled products (ferroalloy bars, sections, and hot rolled sheet/coil) and steel pipes, accounted for 85 percent of the total export volume in 2012.
In the given year, ASEAN countries accounted for 25 percent of China’s total finished steel exports with the actual volume up 48.83 percent year on year. In addition, China’s finished steel exports to South Korea made up 17.86 percent of the total, with the actual volume down 0.35 percent year on year. In addition, export volumes to destinations including northern Asia, South America, western Asia and Africa witnessed rapid growth in 2012. On the other hand, China’s finished steel exports to the Europe Union (EU) saw a year-on-year decline of 23.59 percent in 2012 due to the ongoing sluggishness of the European market and the EU’s antidumping investigation against imports of Chinese coated plates.