A source from a slab exporter in Brazil said that he is beginning to see the first signs of an upward trend for slab prices over the next months.
He mentioned that for the basic commercial grades there are deals being closed in the $325/mt to $330/mt, FOB conditions, against $320/mt during much of September.
Another source, also an exporter, mentioned that $320/mt remains as the base price for negotiations, while a third source mentioned deals closed in the $330/mt to $340/mt, all FOB conditions.
In August, ThyssenKrupp CSA exported slab at $368/mt, ArcelorMittal Tubarao at $430/mt, and Gerdau Acominas at $421/mt, all FOB conditions, with price deals probably closed in June.
The recently started slab producer Companhia Siderurgica do Pecem (CSP), located in the northeastern state of Ceara, is reportedly ahead of schedule in its ramp-up process, but news from the local press indicate that there are logistics bottlenecks still to be removed, in order to achieve a balance between production and exports.