MEXICO CITY: The iron ore imports by Mexico during the month of March this year increased significantly over the imports recorded during the same month a year ago. This is as per the latest trade statistics released by the Secretary of Economy. The imports during the month rose sharply by 8.7% year-on-year.
The country’s iron ore imports during the month totaled 117,367 tonnes. The iron ore imports had totaled 107,933 tonnes during March last year. The import of agglomerated iron ore totaled 43,439 tonnes, falling significantly by 19.4% when compared with the imports of 53,906 tonnes during the same month a year ago. Meantime, the imports of non-agglomerated iron ore during the month totaled 73,928 tonnes. The imports surged higher by 36.8% when compared with the imports of 54,027 tonnes during March 2014.
The only exporter of iron ore to Mexico was the US. The non-agglomerated and agglomerated iron ore exports by the US to Mexico totaled 73,928 tonnes and 43,439 tonnes respectively.
The cumulative iron ore imports by Mexico during the initial three-month period in 2015 totaled 391,711 tonnes, considerably higher by 24.5% when compared with the cumulative imports of 314,691 tonnes during Jan-Mar ’14. The imports of non-agglomerated iron ore by the country surged higher by 34.2% from 150,337 tonnes in Mar ’14 to 201,686 tonnes in March 2015. Similarly, imports of agglomerated iron ore too went higher by 15.6% from 164,354 tonnes to 190,025 tonnes.
The US remained the key exporter of iron ore to Mexico during Jan-Mar ’15. The US exports increased by 24.5% over the previous year to 391,519 tonnes. The other main exporters during the three-month period were Kazakhstan (78 tonnes), South Africa (78 tonnes) and Norway (20 tonnes).
