Brazil's crude steel production totaled 2.693 million metric tons (mt) in August 2026, compared with 2.870 million mt in August 2025, a decline of 6.2 percent, according to data from the Brazilian steel institute IABR.
On the same basis, rolled product output increased by 1.1 percent to 2.002 million mt. Flat product production rose by 3.5 percent to 1.161 million mt, while long product output declined by 2 percent to 841,000 mt.
Domestic sales of steel products increased by 1.8 percent to 1.860 million mt. Apparent steel consumption rose by 2.3 percent to 2.232 million mt, while exports rose by 13 percent to 959,000 mt and imports fell by 19.5 percent to 395,000 mt.
In September, the Steel Industry Confidence Index (ICIA), which measures sentiment among executives in Brazil's steel sector, fell to 42.1 points from 43 points in August. This pointed to greater pessimism among steel industry executives, with the index remaining below the 50-point threshold that separates optimism from pessimism.
Executives' assessment of their own companies was less optimistic, at 42.9 points for the situation in September versus 49.2 points in August, but more optimistic at 45.1 points for the outlook over the next six months, versus 41.5 points in August.
