The total exports of steel from China to the world -including finished (long steel, flat steel and seamless pipes) and steel-derivatives products (wire products and welded tubes) were 17.4 million tons during January-February 2016, 1% less than January-February 2015. Of this volume, 16.4 million were finished steel and 1 million ton of steel-derivatives products. Latin America accounted for 6.9% of those exports from China.
China´s main destinations for finished steel exports are South Korea, which received 2.0 million tons (11.6% of the total) in this period and Vietnam 1.9 million tons (11.3% of the total). In the first bimester, China shipped 1.2 million tons of steel to Latin America, of which 1.0 million tons were finished steel and 143 thousand tons of steel-derivatives products. Latin America during January-February 2016 received 143 thousand tons of steel-derivatives from China, being the main global destination for these steels, concentrating 14% of the total. The main destinations for Chinese steel (finished + steel-derivatives) in Latin America during January-February 2016 were Central America, which received 251 thousand tons (21% of the region); Chile, which accumulated 191 thousand tons (16%); and Peru, with 151 thousand tons (13%). In January-February 2016, only 4 countries increased their imports of Chinese steel (in percentage terms): Cuba (+187%), Costa Rica (+40%), Paraguay (+19%) and Colombia (+12%).
