According to a report from Latin American steel association Alacero, Latin America accounted for 11 percent of China’s total global steel exports in the January-November period last year, up two percentage points compared to the January-November period in 2017, becoming the main destination for Chinese steel exports.
In January-November, Latin America imported 6.6 million mt Chinese steel, of which 6 million mt corresponds
to rolled steel. This total was 5 percent higher than the 6.3 million mt registered in January-November 2017.
In November, Latin America received 730,000 mt of Chinese steel products, of which 672,000 mt were rolled steel and 58,000 mt were steel-derivative products. This volume is 58 percent higher than the November 2017 figures. The main destinations for Chinese steel (finished and steel-derivatives) in Latin American in the January-November last year were: Chile, which received 1.4 million mt (21 percent of the region's total imports of Chinese steel); Peru, with 977,000 mt (14 percent of the total); Brazil, with 902,000 mt (13 percent); and Colombia, with 728,000 mt (11 percent).
During the January-November period of 2018, Colombia increased its imports of Chinese steel by 29 percent, while Brazil’s and Chile’s Chinese steel imports were up by 15 percent and 13 percent respectively, all year on year.
In the given period, alloyed steel sheets and coils (1.4 million mt), hot dip galvanized coils (1.2 million mt) and cold rolled coil (700,000 mt) were the most significant exports from China to the region.
Long product exports from China to Latin America reached 1.1 million mt in the January-November period last year, constituting 16 percent of total steel (finished and derivate) received from China, including 542,000 mt of wire rods and 415,000 mt bars.
According to Francisco Leal, general director of Alacero, these figures legitimize actions taken by Latin American governments to protect local industry in the face of excessive Chinese imports.