The Brazilian Steel Association (IBS) has disclosed that sales of flat and long products in Brazil reached a record high in the first half of 2007.
Domestic shipments of flat rolled products totaled 5.8 million metric tons in the first six months of the year, up 15.6 percent from the same period of 2006, while local long steel sales reached 3.5 million metric tons, a 10.6 percent increase year on year.
Brazilian apparent steel consumption in the January-June 2007 period rose 13.3 percent year on year to 10.3 million metric tons, the IBS said, adding that steel use is on the rise in several sectors, such as the automotive and construction industries.
Exports in the first half of 2007 fell 10.2 percent to 5.6 million metric tons due to the steel sector's priority of meeting demand at home, according to the IBS. However, the value of shipments abroad during the period in question increased 17 percent to $3.55 billion.