Brazil imported 13,600 mt of heavy plates in July, 61.4 percent less than the 35,300 mt of June, according to the country’s ministry of development, industry and foreign trade, MDIC.
The imports of the product, with more than 10mm in thickness, were made under a FOB average price of $784/mt, and came entirely from the EU, with Austria as the main supplier, 12,600 mt at $775/mt, of a special grade not produced in Brazil, destined to the production of pipelines to the oil & gas industry.
Other exporters were France (700 mt at $895/mt) and Germany (300 mt at $895/mt), all FOB conditions.
A source linked to Usiminas told SteelOrbis that imports of the product are currently irrelevant, if excluded the grades not produced in the country, ascribing the downturn to the lackluster demand from the local shipyards, which have suspended production due to investigations of corruption in the oil company Petrobras, the main client of the shipyards.
Meanwhile, the country’s exports of heavy plates in July reached 9,300 mt, slightly decreased from June, at an average FOB price of $596/mt, with a wide range of prices, depending on the destination: $272/mt to Vietnam, $645/mt to the US and $935/mt to South American countries, all FOB conditions.
In the domestic market, the product is sold in average at BRL2,230/mt ($636/mt), FOB full taxes except IPI, a price stable in BRL since April.
1 US$ = BRL 3.48 (August 11)