BEIJING (Scrap Monster): As per the most recent data, the scrap imports by China during the entire year 2014 declined sharply over the previous year.

 

The country’s total scrap imports during 2014 amounted to 2.56 million tons. The imports dropped by 42.6% year on year. The country had imported 4.46 tons of scrap during 2013.

 

During 2014, Japan was the largest scrap exporter to China. The scrap imports from Japan totaled 2.13 million tons, accounting for almost 83% of the country’s total scrap imports. However, the scrap imports from Japan fell by 18.1% year-on-year. The second largest exporter of scrap to China was the US. The scrap imports by the country from the US totaled 122,000, plummeting by 89.6% over the year. In third place was Hong Kong with 49,000 tons, down 75.5% over the year. Australia exported 28,000 tons of scrap to China, 83.2% lower when compared with the previous year.

 

The scrap imports by the country during the month of Dec ’14 alone totaled 609,000 tons, 12.3% higher when compared with the imports during the same month a year ago. The Chinese scrap imports had totaled 542,000 tons during Dec ’13.