In the first seven months of this year, China’s overall finished steel exports amounted to 46.3 million mt, down 30 percent, with 4.6 million metric tons of this volume arriving in Latin America, up 11 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 6.2 percent to 9.8 percent year on year. In July alone, Latin America's finished steel imports from China increased 37 percent month on month to 749,000 mt, though rising by one percent compared to July 2016.
In the January-July period this year, China's main finished steel export destinations in Latin America were Central America which received 934,000 mt, equal to a 20 percent share of China's total finished steel exports to Latin America, Chile with 842,000 mt equal to a 18 percent share, and Peru with 641,000 mt amounting to a 14 percent share.
Meanwhile, in the same period, Latin America received 3.1 million mt of flat steel and 840,000 mt of long steel from China.