Brazil to see decline in steel output
Brazil's steel association IBS indicated that the country's crude steel
production is expected to amount to 31.6 million tons in 2005, down 4 percent from a year earlier.
Steel
consumption in
Brazil is expected to fall 8 percent year on year to 16.9 million tons this year due to the weak demand in sectors such as
construction, as well as high interest rates and low government
investments.
On the other hand, IBS expects steel
production to increase 4 percent and steel
consumption 8.5 percent in 2006.