In the first five months of this year, China’s overall finished steel exports amounted to 33.1 million mt, down 27 percent, with 3.3 million metric tons of this volume arriving in Latin America, up 19 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 6.0 percent to 9.9 percent year on year. In May alone, Latin America's finished steel imports from China increased three percent month on month to 679,000 mt, though rising by 41 percent compared to May 2016.
In the January-May period this year, China's main finished steel export destinations in Latin America were Central America which received 655,000 mt, equal to a 20 percent share of China's total finished steel exports to Latin America, Chile with 638,000 mt equal to a 20 percent share, and Peru with 493,000 mt amounting to a 15 percent share.
Meanwhile, in the same period, Latin America received 2.2 million mt of flat steel and 624,000 mt of long steel from China.