SINGAPORE — China generally imported more steelmaking raw materials last year compared with 2011, Chinese customs data show.
Iron ore imports rose 8.4 percent from 2011 to a record 743.55 million tonnes.
Several large iron ore traders imported more iron ore in December compared with November—arrivals from Australia and Brazil rose 1 percent and 42.2 percent, respectively, to record levels—amid expectations of a further rise in prices, market sources told AMM sister publication Steel First.
AMM sister publication Metal Bulletin’s 62-percent iron ore index rose 26 percent during the month to $146.85 per tonne c.f.r. as of Dec. 31.
China imported 53.55 million tonnes of coking coal in 2012, up 20 percent from the previous year, including 19 million tonnes from Mongolia (down 4.9 percent), 13.9 million tonnes from Australia (up 35 percent), 7.2 million tonnes from Canada (up 123 percent), 4.8 million tonnes from Russia (up 30 percent) and 4.5 million tonnes from the United States (up 3.4 percent).
China’s ferrous scrap imports fell 26.5 percent last year to 4.97 million tonnes, but December’s total was 58.1 percent higher than the previous month.
Staff in Shanghai contributed to this article.
A version of this article was first published by AMM sister publication Steel First.