Latin America imported 2.3 million mt of steel products from China January through April, which is 37% less than the 3.6 million mt registered in the same period a year ago, the regional steel industry organization Alacero said Monday.
Out of the total imported this year, 2 million mt were rolled products and the remaining were other steel products.
Central America received 480,000 mt (21% of the region's total), followed by Chile, that received 362,000 mt (16%) and Peru, with 290,000 mt (13%).
The countries that registered the greatest increases year over year were Costa Rica and Cuba, with additional 72% and 58%, respectively. These countries represent 4% and 3% of the region's imports from China, respectively.
Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Ecuador, on the contrary, were the countries that reduced their imports the most when compared to the same period in 2015: 77%, 70%, 64% and 54%, respectively.
Flat steel products summed 1 million mt, while longs were 845,000 mt. Seamless tubes were 122 million mt. Other steel products summed 259,000 mt.
"The decline of imports of Chinese steel into Latin America is explained by the economic downturn and the crisis in the steel industry that Brazil is facing, since last year it was [Latin America's] biggest importer of steel from China," Alacero explained.
