The Brazilian steel industry posted weaker steel figures in 2019, on a year-on-year analysis, in all indicators, local steel association, IABr, said late this week.
Brazilian crude steel output decreased 9 percent in 2019, year-on-year, to 32.2 million mt,
According to IABr, domestic steel sales in 2019 reached 18.5 million mt, 2.2 percent down, year-on-year.
Apparent steel consumption in 2019 was 20.6 million mt, 2.7 percent down, year-on-year.
Brazilian imports of steel in 2019 totaled 2.4 million mt in volume, 1.9 percent down, year-on-year, and $2.5 billion in value, 5.9 percent down, also on a year-on-year basis.
Brazilian exports of steel in 2019 dropped 8.1 percent, year-on-year, in volume to 12.8 million mt, and fell 17.5 percent, year-on-year, in value to $7.3 billion.
As for December, the local steel industry posted the same downtrend in all indicators.
Brazilian steel output in December decreased 10.8 percent, year-on-year, to 2.4 million mt. Domestic steel sales in the last month of the year reached 1.4 million mt, 2.7 percent down, year-on-year.
Apparent steel consumption in December was 1.5 million mt, 4.1 percent down, year-on-year, IABr said.
The local steel association said Brazilian imports of steel in December fell both 16.9 percent, year-on-year, in volume to 133,000 mt and 11.4 percent, year-on-year, in value to $148 million.
Brazilian steel exports in December reached 1 million mt in volume, 21.5 percent down, year-on-year, and $502 million in value, which represents a 32.4 percent year-on-year decline.