China’s copper and aluminum exports and imports dropped in the double digits in the first six months of the year, according to Chinese custom statistics data.
Aluminum and copper exports in June were valued at $1.9bn and $417mn, respectively. In H1 2020, aluminum exports were worth $11.1bn and copper exports stood at $3bn. Shipments for both metals dropped by 14pc during the first six months of the year compared with H1 2019.
The country imported $4.2bn worth of copper and $738mn worth of aluminum in June. In H1 2020, copper imports fell by 2.3pc to $19.3bn compared to the first six months in 2019, while aluminum imports fell by 2pc to $3bn during the same period.
Nickel, zinc, and lead exports tallied at $31mn, $19mn, and $2mn, respectively, in June. In H1 2020, nickel exports surged by 61pc to $332mn from the first six months in 2019, while zinc exports grew by 8.5pc to $126mn during the same period. China shipped lead worth $18mn in H1 2020, a decline of 10.9pc from the same period last year.
China imported $374mn worth of nickel, $187mn worth of zinc, and $23mn worth of lead in June. In H1 2020 nickel, zinc and lead imports fell by 26.5pc, 33.2pc, and 74.4pc to $1.9bn, $754mn, and $61mn, respectively, compared with the same period last year.
The actual volumes of the metals traded were not disclosed by the customs.
| (in $mn) | ||||||
| Category | Export | Import | Variation in YTD | |||
| Base Metals | Jun-20 | YTD 2020 | Jun-20 | YTD 2020 | Exports | Imports |
| Copper | 417 | 3,043 | 4,153 | 19,381 | -14.2 | -2.3 |
| Nickel | 31 | 332 | 374 | 1,912 | 61.8 | -26.5 |
| Aluminum | 1,879 | 11,115 | 738 | 3,043 | -14.1 | 2.2 |
| Lead | 2 | 18 | 23 | 64 | -10.9 | -74.4 |
| Zinc | 19 | 126 | 187 | 754 | 8.5 | -33.2 |