In the first half of this year, China’s overall finished steel exports amounted to 55.9 million mt, while China’s finished steel export to Latin America totaled 3.4 million metric tons, decreasing by 32 percent on year-on-year basis, according to Alacero, the Latin American steel association. The value of Latin America's finished steel imports from China in the given period amounted to $1.52 billion, while the average price of these finished steel shipments to Latin America - at $453/mt, down 25 percent year on year - was two percent higher than the average price of Chinese finished steel shipments to the rest of the world.
In particular, in the first half of this year the average price in Central America of finished steel imports from China was $368/mt, 16 percent lower than the average price of Chinese shipments to the rest of the world, the average price in Colombia of finished steel imports from China was $402/mt, nine percent lower than the average price of Chinese shipments to the rest of the world, the average price of Chinese imports in Peru was $404/mt, eight percent lower, the average price in the Dominican Republic of finished steel imports from China was $413/mt, six percent lower than the average price of Chinese shipments to the rest of the world, while the average price in Ecuador of finished steel imports from China was $417/mt, six percent lower than the average price of Chinese shipments to the rest of the world.
Meanwhile, in the same period, Latin America received 1.5 million mt of flat steel and 1.3 million mt of long steel from China.