In January this year, Brazilian crude steel production totaled 2.78 million metric tons, rising by 2.8 percent as compared to December and up by 0.6 percent from January 2011, according to preliminary data released by the Brazil Steel Institute (IABr).
Brazil's rolled steel product output totaled 1.96 million mt in January, rising by 7.3 percent month on month and down 0.6 percent year on year. Of this total, the country's flat steel output stood at 1.09 million mt - up 1.8 percent over December and down 5.9 percent year on year, while Brazil's long steel output amounted to 866,300 metric tons, rising by 15 percent month on month and up 7.1 percent compared to January 2011.
Domestic steel product sales totaled 1.7 million metric tons in January, rising by 5.7 percent year on year, while exports of steel products in January amounted to 848,800 metric tons - down 21.5 percent year on year, worth US$611.6 million, down 14.3 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, the country's steel import volume in January totaled 338,600 metric tons (US$420.2 million), representing a 1.5 percent decrease in volume and a 11.6 percent increase in value from the same month last year.