In the first 10 months of 2018, China exported 2.7 million tons of steel and copper standard fasteners valued at US$5.4 billion, Fastener World reports.

Those figures represent increases of 14.5% in volume and 31.7% in value, compared to the same period of 2017, Customs data reveals.

Fastener exports from China grew in volume and value in 2017.

Fastener exports from China increased 5.8% to 2.91 million tons of fasteners during 2017, according to Customs data compiled by ChinaFastener.Info. The export value rose 11.3% $5.05 billion during the period.

The top export destination was the U.S., with volume up 6.2% to 595,823,176 kg and value up 15.5% $1.04 billion). Other top export destinations included Japan, with volume up 0.4% to 140,323,987 kg and value up 7% to $280.3 million; Russia, with volume up 12% to 221,415,520 kg and value up 24% to $261.9 million; Germany, with volume totaling 117,234,421 kg and value totaling $205.3 million; and South Korea, with volume up 10% to 118,889,976 kg and value up 65% to $178.1 million, ChinaFastener.Info reports.

The top five fastener exporting provinces were Zhejiang ($2.5 billion); Jiangsu ($619 million); Guangdong ($528 million); Shanghai ($498 million); and Shandong ($241 million).

Conversely, during 2017 businesses in China imported 322,681,939 kg of fasteners, a gain of 6.31%. The value of those imports gained 6.1% to $3.12 billion, according to ChinaFastener.Info.

The top five fastener importers to China were Japan, with volume up 18% to 98,353,774 kg and value up 7.7% to $865.1 million; Germany, with volume up 11.4% to 60,606,977 kg and value up14% to $570.6 million; the U.S., with volume up 8.6% to 30,229,441 kg and value up 17.8% to $407.6 million; Taiwan, with volume up 14.9% to 33,516,438 kg and value up 12.9% to $240.9 million; and South Korea, with volume down 17.6% to 35,095,220 kg and value down 22.2% to $232.8 million.

The top five fastener importing locations were Shanghai ($609 million); Jiangsu ($544 million); Guangdong ($483 million); Bejing ($214 million); and Liaoning ($199 million), according to ChinaFastener.Info.