Alacero, the Latin American steel association, has reported that in the January-November 2017 period China exported 67.4 million mt of steel, of which 61.7 Mt were finished steel (long steel, flat steel and seamless pipes) and 5.7 million mt were steel-derivatives products. 6.3 million mt were shipped to Latin America, of which 5.6 million mt were finished steel and 686 thousand mt were steel-derivatives products.
In the eleven month period, Chinese steel received by Latin America decreased 10 percent compared with Jan/Nov 2016. In the same period, the flow to the world contracted 32 percent compared to the Jan/Nov 2016 amount of 98.6 million mt.
Latin America accounted for 9.4 percent of total Chinese exports, increasing its participation 2.3 percentage points versus Jan/Nov 2016 (7.1 percent) and continuing at third place after South Korea (10.6 million mt, 16 percent) and Vietnam (7.2 million mt, 11 percent).
Flat steel imports by Latin America from China during Jan/Nov 2017 reached 4.3 million mt including other alloyed steel sheets and coils (1.2 million mt, 28 percent share of flat steel imported from China), hot dip galvanized sheet (1.0 million mt, 24 percent), cold rolled coil (771 thousand mt, 18 percent), long steel (1.1 million mt, 18 percent). Long steel imports were 548 thousand mt (49 percent share of long steels), bars were 462 thousand mt (41 percent), and seamless pipes 218 thousand mt (3 percent). Meanwhile, steel-derivate products represent 11 percent of total imports of Chinese steel in the region, with a volume of 686 thousand mt (welded tubes were 555 thousand mt and wire 131 thousand mt).
In November 2017, Latin America received 463 thousand mt of steel from China (415 thousand mt finished steel). The Chinese steel received by Latin America in November was 23 percent higher than previous month, but 37 percent less than November 2016.
The main destinations for Chinese steel in Latin American during Jan/Nov 2017 were: Central America which received 1.3 million mt (20 percent); Chile with 1.2 million mt (19 percent); and Peru, 869 thousand mt (14 percent).