Final figures are not yet available, but China estimates it has imported 325 million tons of iron in 2006. This figure is expected to grow to 355 million tons in 2007.

China is the world's biggest consumer of iron, but it has a domestic shortage of this important resource. In recent years, demand for iron has exceeded the nation's supply, increasing the volume of import and the nation's dependence on it. In 2005, China imported 275 million tons of iron, making up 57 percent of China's total consumption of this metal.

By People's Daily Online