In April, the country’s exports of iron and steel decreased by 7.2 per cent in quantity and 5.2 per cent in value compared with the previous month to 481,560 tons worth of $ 369.62 million. The figure was up by 63.3 per cent in quantity and 77 per cent in value year – on - year.

The average iron and steel price in the first four months of this year increased by 12.6 per cent compared with the same period last year to $ 737.3 per ton.

ASEAN countries were leading the list of the country’s export markets of iron and steel in the first four months of this year, accounted for 57 per cent of the total quantity and 53.4 per cent of the total value with 1.09 million tons worth of $ 750.91 million. Of the figure, the exports of iron and steel to Cambodia reached 374,095 tons, up by 43.8 per cent year – on – year.

The exports of iron and steel to the U.S reached $ 289,963 tons, up by 113.8 per cent; to Indonesia – 264,526 tons, up by 32.8 per cent.

In the first four months of this year, the country’s exports of iron and steel to Japan increased sharply by 11 times in quantity and 6 times in value to 37,168 tons worth of $ 26.93 million; to Italy – up by 984.8 per cent in quantity and 505 per cent in value to 31,567 tons worth of $ 29.92 million; to Belgium – up by 833 per cent in quantity and 564 per cent in value to 123,211 tons worth of $ 92.85 million; to Britain – up by 134.5 per cent in quantity and 142.5 per cent in value to 27,824 tons worth of $ 20.77 million.

However, the exports of iron and steel to Switzerland, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Pakistan and Brazil decreased by 99.6 per cent; 68.4 per cent; 66.2 per cent; 59.6 per cent; and 56.6 per cent in quantity compared with the same period last year.