During the first half of the year, imports amounted to US$ 22,656 million and a total volume of 17,9 million tons, which is 28% and 11% more -respectively- compared to the same period last year.

Moreover, 81% of total imports for the period January-June 2017 corresponds to intermediate and capital goods which is 33.25% more in comparison to the previous year. While intermediate goods are used, often transformed, and incorporated in the final output; capital goods are used to make other products such as factory equipment and tools.

Intermediate goods imports include alloy steel (bars and sheets), paper and cardboard, yellow hard corn, wheat, beans, barley, photovoltaic cell panels, electric conductors, crude oil, diesel 2, gasoline, lubricating oil and kerosene. These inputs are used for the manufacture of products of the metallurgical, chemical, metal-mechanic, agricultural, energy and other sectors.

Regarding capital goods, the main imported goods are gas turbines, flattening machine parts, loaders, excavators and steel balls for mills, which are used for the manufacture of different products of the following sectors: construction, metal-mechanical and sidero-metallurgical.