In the January-October period of this year, China’s overall finished steel exports amounted to 62.3 million mt, down 31 percent, while China’s finished steel exports to Latin America totaled 5.8 million metric tons, decreasing by seven 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 increased from 9.4 percent to 6.9 percent year on year.
In October alone, Latin America's finished steel imports from China decreased 18 percent month on month to 375,000 mt, while falling by 34 percent compared to October 2016.
In the January-October period this year, China's main finished steel export destinations in Latin America were Central America which received 1.2 million mt, equal to a 21 percent share of China's total finished steel exports to Latin America, Chile with 1.1 million mt equal to a 19 percent share, and Peru with 795,000 mt amounting to a 14 percent share.
Meanwhile, in the same period, Latin America received 4 million mt of flat steel and 1.1 million mt of long steel from China.