Brazil’s November crude steel production reached 2.8 million mt, up 2.4 percent year on year, said the country’s steel institute IABr.
According to the trade group, finished steel production in November fell 8.5 percent, year on year, to 2 million mt.
IABr said crude steel production from January to November reached 31.4 million mt in 2015, down 0.4 percent year on year, while finished steel production registered 23 million mt, a 4.9 percent decrease, in the same period.
“Despite adverse market conditions globally, steel exports in November reached 953,000 mt, at $628 million, as result, among other factors, of the restart of operations of ArcelorMittal Tubarao’s blast furnace and its slabs exports,” IABr said in a note.
According to IABr, from January to November steel exports reached 8.8 million mt, totaling $6.2 billion, up 16.9 percent year on year in terms of volume and 19.8 percent in value, it said.
Steel imports increased by 8.1 percent from January to November, year on year, reaching 3.8 million mt. November steel imports reached 289,000 mt and totaled $303 million, IABr said.
Brazil’s apparent consumption (imports plus local production) of steel increased 11.2 percent in November and 6.6 percent from January to November, reaching 1.9 million mt and 23 million mt, respectively.