Chinese exports to Latin America down

Chinese exports to Latin America down

China exported 9.5Mt of steel during January 2016, down 5% on the same period in 2015. Of this volume, 8.9Mt were finished steel and 572kt steel-derivative products.

According to Alacero (the Latin American Steel Association) 6.4% of China’s exports went to Latin America, down 5.6 percentage points when compared with January 2015.

China exported 609kt of steel to Latin America in January 2016 of which 546kt was finished steel, and 64kt steel-derivative products. The total volume of Chinese steel exports was down 48% when compared with January 2015.

Where steel-derivative products are concerned, Latin America received 64kt (11% of the total). The next biggest market  was the USA (7% of the total) followed by Thailand’s 34kt (6% of the total).

Chile received 122kt of Chinese steel (accounting for 20% of the region’s intake). Central America received 96kt (16% of regional intake) and Columbia 80kt (13%).

In percentage terms Columbia increased its Chinese imports by 34%, Cuba by 138% and Paraguay 97%. Cuba and Paraguay, however, both account for 1% of the region’s total imports.

Conversely, Argentina reduced its volume of Chinese imports by 97%, Mexico by 77%, Dominican Republic by 72%, Brazil 71%, Ecuador 52%, Peru 46%, and Venezuela 43%. Their current share of imports is 1%, 9%, 2%, 9%, 7%, 11% and 7% respectively, claims Alacero.

In January, Latin America imported 345kt of flat products of which sheets, coil and other alloy steel made up 100kt, hot galvanised steel 26% and cold coil 13%.

China exported 174kt of long steel of which bars accounted for 108kt (62% of long steel) and rod wire (44kt or 25% of long steel).

The Latin American region received 27kt of seamless pipes (4% of total).

Steel-derivate products represented 10% of total Chinese imports (64kt), according to Alacero.