China imported 95.6 million tonnes of iron ore for the month of September, down nearly 2% on August according to data released today by the country’s General Administration of Customs. Total spend for the metal was down 16% to just under $17 billion US dollars.
September saw a 41% increase in spend over the previous year, despite an 11.9% drop in tonnage.
Copper ore and concentrates
Chinese imports of copper ore and concentrates rose by nearly 12% in September to 2.1 million tonnes, with spend increasing by 10.8%. Year-on-year tonnage dropped by 1.3%, despite a substantial 46.3% increase in spend compared to September 2020.
Coal and lignite
September coal and lignite imports rose by 17.2% from August to 32.9 million tonnes, with spend rising by nearly 26%. Year-on-year figures provided a more stark difference, with tonnage rising 76% and spend increasing by over 230% compared to September 2020.
Australian exports to China
Total Australian exports to China reached 15 billion US dollars in September, representing a trade surplus of just over 9 billion dollars. The figure dropped from just under 18 billion dollars in August, but achieved a significant year-on-year increase of 50% from 10 billion dollars in September 2020.
