According to the Korean Customs Service, South Korea’s combined iron ore imports during the first eight months of the year totaled 47.1 million mt, up 1.3 percent from 46.5 million mt in the same period in 2016. Imports from Australia totaled 33.5 million mt, imports from Brazil totaled 6.4 million mt, and imports from South Africa totaled 3.4 million mt.
South Korea’s non-agglomerated iron ore imports (sinter and sinter fines) during the eight-month period in 2017 totaled 44.7 million mt, up 0.7 percent from 44.3 million mt in the same period in 2016. The imports from Australia totaled 33.5 million mt and from Brazil totaled 5.2 million mt.
The country’s agglomerated iron ore imports (pellets) during the eight-month period in 2017 totaled 2.5 million mt, up 12.1 percent from 2.2 million mt in the same eight-month period in 2016. Imports from Brazil totaled 1.1 million mt and imports from Chile totaled 523,708 mt.