In the January-August period of this year, China's finished steel exports totaled 35.79 million mt, up 8.6 percent year on year, according to the figures released by China's General Administration of Customs. Meanwhile, the country imported 9.32 million mt of finished steel and 250,000 mt of semi-finished steel in the given period, down 12.3 percent and 38 percent respectively, both on year-on-year basis.
In August alone, China exported 4.24 million mt of finished steel, decreasing by 80,000 mt compared to July this year. Meanwhile, finished steel import increased by 40,000 mt month on month to 1.2 million mt in August, while semi-finished steel imports in the given months totaled 30,000 mt, remaining unchanged compared to July.
Furthermore, in the first eight months of this year China's imports of iron ore and iron ore concentrate totaled 486.05 million mt, up 8.7 percent year on year, while the country imported 62.45 million mt of iron ore and iron ore concentrate in August alone