Latin America's finished steel imports from China up 17 percent in 2013

Alacero, the Latin American steel association, has reported that Latin America received 10 percent of global exports of finished steel from China in 2013. In the given year, the volume of finished steel exports to the region from China increased by 17 percent year on year to 5.3 million metric tons.
 
During 2013, the volume of Chinese long product exports to Latin America amounted to 1.2 million metric tons, consisting of 731,532 metric tons of wire rod and 445,924 metric tons of bars. In the given year, flat steel exports from China to the region reached 3.5 million tons, including 1 million metric tons of sheet and other alloy steel coils, 824,410 metric tons of hot rolled galvanized steel and 678,963 metric tons of cold rolled coils, representing 30 percent, 23 percent and 19 percent of total finished steel imports respectively. Also, 523,036 metric tons of seamless tubes were imported from China to Latin America.
 
In 2013, the finished products that considerably increased their share among Chinese imports to Latin America were hot rolled coils, up 148 percent, wire rod, up 84 percent, and zinc and aluminum coated steel, up 81 percent, all year on year.
 
Meanwhile in 2013, finished steel imports from China to Central America increased by 74 percent to 693,248 metric tons, compared to 397,878 metric tons in 2012. These figures made Central America the third most important destination for Chinese products in 2013, surpassed by Brazil, which received 1.4 million metric tons, and by Chile which received 792,927 metric tons. Also, Brazil's finished steel imports from China increased by 51 percent in 2013 on year-on-year basis.