CISA: analysis on the Import and Export of China's main Metallurgical products from January to May

SMM News: China's steel imports increase compared with the same period last year

From January to May, China (only mainland China, the same below) imported 5.464 million tons of steel, an increase of 12.0% over the same period last year. Imported billets were 3.053 million tons, up 662.3 percent over the same period last year; imported ingots were 22000 tons, up 63.7 percent over the same period last year. Equivalent to about 8.77 million tons of crude steel imports. From January to May, the average price of imported steel in China was US $1007.7 per tonne, down 16.5 per cent from the same period last year, while the average price of imported billet was US $447.8 per tonne, down 46.5 per cent from the same period last year.

From January to May, China exported 25 million tons of steel, down 14.1 percent from the same period last year, and 10000 tons of billet, down 19.6 percent from the same period last year. Equivalent to about 26.05 million tons of crude steel export. From January to May, the average price of steel exports from China was $775.1 per tonne, down 3.7 per cent from a year earlier.

Plate is still the main variety of China's steel export.

From January to May, the export volume of all the main varieties of steel decreased significantly compared with the same period last year. Among them, the export of rod, wire and railway materials decreased the most compared with the same period last year. Affected by the decline in export order prices during the severe epidemic period, the average export prices of all major steel varieties decreased in varying degrees compared with the same period last year. Among them, the average export price of wire rod, angle profile and pipe decreased greatly compared with the same period last year.

Plate is still the main variety of China's steel exports, accounting for an increase in the proportion of total exports compared with the same period last year. From January to May, China's plate exports accounted for 61.5% of the total steel exports, an increase of 1.4 percentage points over 2019.

ASEAN, the Middle East and South Korea are still the main export destinations of our country. From January to May, China exported 14.712 million tons of steel to the above three countries and regions, down 0.7 percent from the same period last year, accounting for 58.8 percent of the total steel exports. Although steel exports to major countries and regions dropped sharply compared with the same period last year, exports to the Middle East and some countries in South Asia and South America increased year-on-year.

From January to May, China exported 3.546 million tons of steel to the Middle East, an increase of 5.3 percent over the same period last year, mainly cold-rolled coil, 563000 tons of steel to Pakistan, up 1.6 percent over the same period last year, and 534000 tons of steel to Peru, an increase of 5.0 percent over the same period last year.

The import volume of steel increases and the price falls.

Steel imports increased by more than 10% compared with the same period last year, and prices fell by more than 15%. The import quantity of wire rod and hot rolled coil increased significantly compared with the same period last year. From January to May, imported rod and wire rod was 883000 tons, an increase of 123.1% over the same period last year. The average import price was 944.8 US dollars per ton, down 44.3% from the same period last year. Of these, 324000 tons of rebar were imported from January to May, up 4008.7 percent from the same period last year, and the average import price was 420.7 US dollars / ton, down 42.4 percent from the same period last year. The import of ordinary hot-rolled sheet (coil) was 613000 tons, an increase of 101.0% over the same period last year, and the average import price was 494.3 US dollars / ton, down 22.5% from the same period last year. Imports of ordinary cold-rolled sheet (coil) 741000 tons, an increase of 8.6% over the same period last year; the average import price was US $609.7 / ton, down 12.2% from the same period last year. Imports of oriented electrical steel increased significantly, with imports totaling 183000 tons from January to May, an increase of 19.3% over the same period last year.

Japan, South Korea, ASEAN and Taiwan are the main sources of imports from mainland China. From January to May, 4.605 million tons of steel were imported from the above-mentioned countries and regions, an increase of 8.0 percent over the same period last year, accounting for 84.3 percent of China's total steel imports. Some of the products of China's overseas investment enterprises have returned, and the number of imports from ASEAN has increased significantly, and the import increment is mainly the bar and wire rod imported from Malaysia.

Due to better prices in the domestic market, the number of hot-rolled coils imported from countries such as Kazakhstan and India has increased.

China's imports of ordinary billets increased compared with the same period last year.

From January to May, China imported 1.574 million tons of billets, an increase of 1828.1 percent over the same period last year, mainly from Vietnam, Iran, Russia, Malaysia and India, while 1.215 million tons of billets were imported, an increase of 4190.3 percent over the same period last year. Mainly from Russia, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia and other countries. The average import price of plain slabs was US $398.4 per ton, up 12.9 per cent from the same period last year, while the average import price of slabs was US $397.0 per tonne, down 3.3 per cent from the same period last year.

From January to May, China imported 445.306 million tons of iron ore, up 5.1 per cent from the same period last year, and the average import price was US $90.0 per ton, up 6.8 per cent from the same period last year. Of this total, imports from Australia were 283.301 million tons, up 7.1 percent from the same period last year, accounting for 63.6 percent of the total iron ore imports; imports from Brazil were 77.774 million tons, down 13.2 percent from the same period last year, accounting for 17.5 percent of China's total iron ore imports. Imports of iron ore from India, Ukraine and Russia increased significantly, with imports of 15.392 million tons, 8.938 million tons and 4.374 million tons respectively, up 121.4%, 101.6% and 118.5% respectively over the same period last year.

From January to May, China imported 10.617 million tons of manganese ore, down 22.2% from the same period last year; the average import price was US $147.4 / ton, down 26.6% from the same period last year. Imported chromium ore was 6.068 million tons, down 3.1% from the same period last year; the average price was 138.0 US dollars / ton, down 21.1% from the same period last year.

From January to May, China imported 31.861 million tons of coking coal, an increase of 7.4 per cent over the same period last year, and the average price was US $135.1 per ton, down 3.7 per cent from the same period last year. Imported coke was 526000 tons, up 936.7 percent over the same period last year, and the average price was US $239.4 / ton, up 7.8 percent over the same period last year.

From January to May, China imported 1.316 million tons of pig iron, an increase of 1015.2 percent over the same period last year; the average import price was 369.6 US dollars per ton, down 29.4 percent from the same period last year; mainly from Brazil, Russia, Ukraine, Indonesia and Japan. Imports of direct reducing iron and other sponge iron lumps were 1.323 million tons, an increase of 327.8% over the same period last year; the average import price was US $294.1 / ton, down 3.2% from the same period last year; mainly from Russia, Venezuela, Malaysia and Iran.

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