China imports 21.97 mln tons of Australian iron ore in August, down 19.97 pct month-on-month
Shanghai. September 23. INTERFAX-CHINA - China's iron ore imports from Australia totaled 21.97 million tons in August, down 19.97 percent from the previous month, according to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs on Sept. 23.
Australia remained China's largest iron ore supplier in August with Australian iron ore imports accounting for 44.22 percent of China's total figure.
Brazil, India, South Africa and Ukraine were also among China's top five iron ore suppliers in August, with shipments of 12.75 million tons, 4.75 million tons, 3.08 million tons and 1.14 million tons, respectively.
The table below shows China's iron ore imports for August and the first eight months of 2009.
China's iron ore imports, August and the first eight months of 2009
| Country | Imports, Aug 2009 ('000 tons) | M-o-m change (%) | Imports, Jan - Aug ('000 tons) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Australia | 21,968.50 | -19.97 | 171,140.75 | 40.70 |
| Brazil | 12,748.57 | 3.96 | 85,791.27 | 26.35 |
| India | 4,753.77 | -32.83 | 74,288.17 | 8.97 |
| South Africa | 3,079.72 | -16.69 | 22,999.11 | 134.35 |
| Ukraine | 1,136.02 | -7.57 | 9,862.94 | 81.24 |
| Canada | 906.32 | -39.25 | 5,581.73 | 107.49 |
| Peru | 692.40 | 57.99 | 3,926.21 | 14.64 |
| Iran | 683.45 | 48.90 | 3,514.85 | -13.75 |
| Mauritania | 648.78 | 21.30 | 4,277.37 | 160.63 |
| Kazakhstan | 604.34 | 17.88 | 4,027.89 | 96.57 |
| Russia | 562.31 | -41.28 | 4,918.12 | 110.92 |
| Indonesia | 504.13 | -6.49 | 3,682.57 | -29.52 |
| Chile | 454.21 | 25.87 | 2,820.98 | 12.34 |
| Vietnam | 198.33 | 155.08 | 781.38 | -20.76 |
| Mexico | 109.64 | 70.51 | 1,023.80 | -14.25 |
| Mongolia | 108.81 | 2.47 | 723.42 | 17.67 |
| Thailand | 87.27 | 448.93 | 499.91 | -66.84 |
| Malaysia | 74.65 | -34.53 | 545.03 | -15.37 |
| Uruguay | 42.23 | N/A | 42.23 | N/A |
| Venezuela | 25.40 | -82.98 | 1,598.46 | -23.97 |
| Mozambique | 23.73 | -56.90 | 412.33 | 868.21 |
| South Korea | 14.22 | 201.09 | 24.87 | 89.77 |
| Philippines | 10.52 | -86.86 | 129.72 | 48.46 |
| Pakistan | 4.63 | 111.56 | 6.82 | 38.90 |
| Libya | 3.91 | N/A | 8.43 | -94.93 |
| Myanmar | 3.29 | -62.04 | 195.85 | 104.28 |
| Singapore | 0.00 | N/A | 1.27 | -20.21 |
| United states | 0.00 | N/A | 50.46 | 186.75 |
| Qatar | 0.00 | N/A | 45.74 | 15.94 |
| Turkey | 0.00 | N/A | 2.67 | 234.30 |
| Ethiopia | 0.00 | N/A | 0.00 | N/A |
| Bahrain | 0.00 | N/A | 123.42 | N/A |
| Norway | 0.00 | N/A | 243.53 | N/A |
| New Zealand | 0.00 | -100.00 | 405.68 | -24.17 |
| Japan | 0.00 | -100.00 | 19.38 | -45.68 |
| Cambodia | 0.00 | N/A | 0.00 | N/A |
| Finland | 0.00 | -100.00 | 247.83 | N/A |
| Argentina | 0.00 | N/A | 36.92 | 45.30 |
| Total | 49,677.05 | -14.47 | 404,922.05 | 31.91 |
Source: GAC
Note: Month-on-month changes and year-on-year changes were calculated using figures previously released by the GAC.
-GD