In January this year, Chinese finished steel exports amounted to 9.4 million mt, up 59 percent, and of this volume 1.1 million metric tons arrived in Latin America, up 73 percent, both on year-on-year basis, according to Alacero, the Latin American steel association. Thus, in the given month Latin America expanded its share from 9.4 percent to 11.4 percent in China's finished steel exports and ranked as the second biggest destination for Chinese finished steel exports after South Korea. In January alone, Latin America's finished imports from China increased by 73 percent year on year to 1.1 million mt and were up 24 percent compared to December 2014.
In the first month of the year, China's main finished steel export destinations in Latin America were Mexico with 209,000 mt, up 325 percent and with a 19 percent share of China's total finished steel exports to Latin America, Brazil with 188,000 mt, up six percent and with a 17 percent share, and Central America with 131,000 mt, up 103 percent and with a 12 percent share, all on year-on-year basis.
Meanwhile, in the same month, Latin America received 621,664 mt of flat steel and 407,769 mt of long steel from China.