China imports 21.71 mln tons of Australian iron ore in May, down 4.13 pct month-on-month
Shanghai. June 24. INTERFAX-CHINA - China's iron ore imports from Australia totaled 21.71 million tons in May, down 4.13 percent from the previous month, according to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs on June 22.
Australia remained China's largest iron ore supplier in May with Australian iron ore imports accounting for 40.61 percent of China's total figure.
Brazil, India, South Africa and the Ukraine were also among China's top five iron ore suppliers last month, with shipments of 13.59 million tons, 8.92 million tons, 2.69 million tons and 1.71 million tons, respectively.
The table below shows China's iron ore imports for May and the first five months of 2009.
China's iron ore imports, May and the first five months of 2009
| Country | Imports, May 2009 ('000 tons) | M-o-m change (%) | Imports, Jan - May ('000 tons) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Australia | 21,709.78 | -4.13 | 98,013.55 | 41.33 |
| Brazil | 13,589.15 | 6.33 | 48,572.42 | 13.42 |
| India | 8,923.54 | -20.01 | 54,190.12 | 10.71 |
| South Africa | 2,689.77 | -16.71 | 12,024.65 | 78.39 |
| Ukraine | 1,706.69 | 52.90 | 5,690.54 | 76.53 |
| Canada | 899.10 | 59.32 | 2,364.82 | 43.96 |
| Russia | 654.48 | -16.12 | 2,447.03 | 65.28 |
| Mauritania | 579.80 | -14.01 | 2,500.25 | 118.42 |
| Kazakhstan | 517.78 | 4.30 | 2,472.14 | 97.48 |
| Peru | 434.24 | -22.53 | 2,373.34 | 26.13 |
| Chile | 331.01 | -56.71 | 1,724.89 | 10.44 |
| Iran | 297.19 | -36.27 | 2,136.06 | -21.23 |
| Indonesia | 262.85 | -52.95 | 2,389.43 | -33.49 |
| Venezuela | 135.19 | -64.75 | 1,144.10 | -23.94 |
| Mongolia | 102.01 | -46.03 | 452.58 | 47.89 |
| DPRK | 95.95 | 63.68 | 402.76 | -44.02 |
| Mozambique | 95.32 | 13.66 | 333.52 | N/A |
| Myanmar | 83.91 | 216.15 | 144.27 | 291.87 |
| Thailand | 74.21 | 52.51 | 349.39 | -60.80 |
| Mexico | 68.18 | -48.32 | 713.32 | -5.49 |
| Vietnam | 60.42 | -21.74 | 440.35 | -21.62 |
| Malaysia | 47.45 | 56.64 | 220.77 | -50.58 |
| Qatar | 45.74 | N/A | 45.74 | N/A |
| Finland | 41.04 | 0.71 | 181.15 | N/A |
| Philippines | 12.95 | 4.75 | 39.16 | -50.67 |
| Japan | 0.02 | -99.66 | 14.41 | -39.76 |
| Libya | 0.00 | -100.00 | 4.52 | -95.17 |
| Bahrain | 0.00 | -100.00 | 123.62 | -4.51 |
| Singapore | 0.00 | N/A | 1.27 | -20.35 |
| New Zealand | 0.00 | -100.00 | 288.47 | -3.39 |
| United States | 0.00 | N/A | 50.46 | 268.95 |
| Argentina | 0.00 | N/A | 36.92 | 45.30 |
| Total | 53,457.76 | -6.22 | 241,886.00 | 25.75 |
Source: GAC
Note: Monthly changes from April to May and year-on-year changes were calculated using figures previously released by the GAC.
-GD