On Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:21:11 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

I'm guessing that the Chinese send us merchandise on barges, and take scrap
on the return trip. Easier to remelt US made scrap iron, than to mine and
forge it from the ore. Just a guess.


Chinese domestic steel production in 2010: 637 million tonnes.*

US ferrous scrap exports to China in 2010: 9.9 million tonnes.**

US scrap contribution is pretty much negligible (about 1.5%).


*
http://www.worldsteel.org/dms/intern...hly%202010.pdf

**
http://www.bir.org/assets/Documents/...l2006-2010.pdf