In the first three months of this year, China’s overall finished steel exports excluding exports to Latin America amounted to 25.4 million mt, while China’s finished steel export to Latin America totaled 1.8 million metric tons, decreasing by 33 percent on year-on-year basis, according to Alacero, the Latin American steel association. The value of Latin America's finished steel imports from China in the given period amounted to $778 million, while the average price of these finished steel shipments to Latin America - at $436/mt, down 32 percent year on year - was six percent higher than the average price of Chinese finished steel shipments to the rest of the world, reversing the trend seen in recent times.
In particular, in the first three months this year the average price in Central America of finished steel imports from China was $341/mt, 17 percent lower than the average price of Chinese shipments to the rest of the world, the average price in Colombia of finished steel imports from China was $373/mt, nine percent lower than the average price of Chinese shipments to the rest of the world, the average price of Chinese imports in Ecuador was $374/mt, nine percent lower, the average price in the Dominican Republic of finished steel imports from China was $380/mt, seven percent lower than the average price of Chinese shipments to the rest of the world, while the average price in Peru of finished steel imports from China was $400/mt, two percent lower than the average price of Chinese shipments to the rest of the world.
Meanwhile, in the same period, Latin America received 801,000 mt of flat steel and 695,000 mt of long steel from China.