In the first eleven months of last year, China’s overall finished steel exports amounted to 98.6 million mt, down one percent, with 7.0 million metric tons of this volume arriving in Latin America, down 18 percent, both on year-on-year basis, according to Alacero, the Latin American steel association. Accordingly, in the given period Latin America’s share in China’s finished steel exports decreased from 8.6 percent to 7.1 percent year on year. In November alone, Latin America's finished steel imports from China increased by 29 percent month on month to 735,000 mt, up 22 percent compared to November 2015.
In the January-November period of last year, China's main finished steel export destinations in Latin America were Central America which received 1.7 million mt, equal to a 24 percent share of China's total finished steel exports to Latin America, Chile with 1.2 million mt equal to a 17 percent share, and Peru with 895,000 mt amounting to a 13 percent share.
Meanwhile, in the same period, Latin America received 3.5 million mt of flat steel and 2.5 million mt of long steel from China.