中国12月钢铁出口创新高、稀土同比大增32%，全年大豆、铁矿石、原油进口齐破纪录

Core Insights - In 2025, China's soybean imports reached a record high of 111.8 million tons, marking the third consecutive year of growth, with a 6.5% increase from 2024 [1][3] - Iron ore imports also hit a historical peak, growing by 1.8% to 1.26 billion tons, continuing a three-year growth trend [6] - Coal imports saw the largest decline in a decade, dropping by 9.6% to 49 million tons [6][13] - December exports of rare earths surged by 32% year-on-year to 4,392 tons, while steel product exports exceeded the previous peak in 2015, reaching 11.3 million tons [2][1] Import and Export Data - December soybean imports were 8 million tons, a 1.3% increase year-on-year, while the total for the year was 111.83 million tons [3][13] - December iron ore imports were 11.96 million tons, a 6.37% increase from the previous year [9] - December crude oil imports reached 55.97 million tons, a 17% increase year-on-year, with an annual total of 57.77 million tons [4][12] - December natural gas imports rose by 16.35% to 1.34 million tons, but the total for the year fell by 2.8% to 12.79 million tons [7][13] Market Analysis - The increase in crude oil imports is attributed to stronger refining activity and robust stockpiling demand, with processing volumes expected to reach 15.38 million barrels per day in 2025 [5] - The decline in coal imports is linked to rising domestic production and the rapid adoption of clean energy, which is reducing coal demand [7] - The surge in rare earth exports indicates a solid demand foundation, despite a 20% month-on-month decline in December due to pre-holiday stockpiling by overseas buyers [2]