Taiwan stainless steel imports and exports rise in December

The latest statistics released by Taiwan's customs authorities show that the country's imports and exports of stainless steel products increased significantly during December last year.

The country's imports of stainless steel products amounted to 90,559 tons during December 2015. This is up 18 percent compared to imports a year earlier, which amounted to 76,745 tonnes of stainless steel products in December 2014.

The main imported product during the month was stainless steel in coils. Imports of stainless steel coils reached 84,886 tons, accounting for about 94 percent of the total imports of stainless steel products for the month.

Among coiled steel, imports of hot rolled stainless steel totaled 72,888 tons, accounting for the majority of stainless steel imports. Imports of hot rolled stainless steel in coils were up 16 percent from the previous year, when imports of this product totaled 62,834 tonnes in December 2014. Meanwhile, imports of cold-rolled stainless steel coils totaled 11,978 tons, accounting for more than 14 percent of the country's total stainless steel coil imports for the month. At the same time, imports of stainless cold rolled steel products increased significantly compared to the previous month. The growth was 31 percent.

Taiwan's stainless steel coil exports totaled 75,155 tons in December last year, up nearly 14 percent from the previous month. Exports of stainless hot rolled steel in coils accounted for 13,084 tonnes, while exports of cold rolled stainless steel coils accounted for 62,701 tonnes. Exports of hot-rolled stainless steel coils increased marginally, by 2 percent, compared to the previous year. Exports of cold rolled stainless steel coils jumped 21 percent from a month earlier.