In the first four months of this year, China’s overall finished steel exports amounted to 36 million mt, up eight percent, with 2.3 million metric tons of this volume arriving in Latin America, down 37 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 10.7 percent to 6.3 percent year on year. In April alone, Latin America's finished steel imports from China decreased by 19 percent month on month to 469,000 mt, down 49 percent compared to April last year.
In the January-April period of this year, China's main finished steel export destinations in Latin America were Central America which received 480,000 mt, equal to a 21 percent share of China's total finished steel exports to Latin America, Chile with 362,000 mt equal to a 16 percent share, and Peru with 290,000 mt amounting to a 13 percent share.
Meanwhile, in the same period, Latin America received 1 million mt of flat steel and 845,000 mt of long steel from China.