In the first two months of this year, China’s overall finished steel exports amounted to 17.4 million mt, down one percent, with 1.2 million metric tons of this volume arriving in Latin America, down 35 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 decreased from 10.6 percent to 6.9 percent year on year. In February alone, Latin America's finished steel imports from China decreased by two percent month on month to 599,000 mt, down 15 percent compared to February last year.
In the January-February period of this year, China's main finished steel export destinations in Latin America were Central America which received 251,000 mt, equal to a 21 percent share of China's total finished steel exports to Latin America, Chile with 191,000 mt equal to a 16 percent share, and Peru with 151,000 mt amounting to a 13 percent share.
Meanwhile, in the same period, Latin America received 577,000 mt of flat steel and 420,000 mt of long steel from China.