Exports of the semi-finished product from China to destinations across the world became so common in the third quarter of 2014 that Steel First tried to explain “everything you want to know” about the subject
in a two-part feature.
After that initial frisson, however, little more was heard about Chinese billet exports except for their constant presence in Southeast Asia and occasional pressure on
import markets such as those in Turkey and on other
exporters such as the CIS countries.
The story was not over, though.
Here and there, news items about cheap billet prices from China have started to pop up with more insistence across the globe over the past couple of months, and are now making headlines everywhere.
Below, you will find our summary of the effects that this trade flow has had in various key markets – starting with where it all began, China.
China
Before looking at...
