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Alacero: Latin American Steel Imports from China Surge in 2013

Finished steel imports from China to Central America reached 693,248 tons in 2013, growing 75% vs. 2012 when imports reached 397,878 tons, Alacero reported. These figures made Central America the third most important Latin American destination for Chinese products in 2013, only surpassed by Brazil (1.4 million tons) and Chile (792,927 tons). Brazil’s finished steel imports from China were up 51% year-on-year in 2013.
 
Total Latin American finished steel imports from China reached 5.3 million tons during 2013 — 17% more than in 2012. Latin America accounted for 10% of China’s global steel exports that totaled 54.1 million tons.
 
Flat products led Chinese exports to Latin America with 3.5 million tons in 2013. Standing out among these imports were: other alloy steel sheet coils (1 million tons), hot rolled galvanized steel (828,410 tons), cold rolled coils (678,963 tons). These represented 30%, 23% and 19% of the total imports, respectively.
 
Chinese exports of long products reached an annual volume of 1.2 million tons, with wire rod (713,538 tons) and bars (445,924 tons) being the most imported ones.
 
China sent 523,036 tons of seamless tubes to Latin America in 2013.
 
Latin American imports of Chinese steel products with noticeable year-on-year increases included hot rolled coil (+148%), wire rod (+84%) and zinc- and aluminum-coated steel (+81%).