Brazilian crude steel output in August was 2.8 million mt, 3.7 percent down, year-on-year, the nation’s steel association (IABr) said on Tuesday.
Domestic steel sales in August rose 9.2 percent, year-on-year, to 1.7 million mt. Apparent steel consumption in August was 1.9 million mt, 11.4 percent up, year-on-year.
Brazilian imports of steel in August grew 28.8 percent, year-on-year, in volumes to 246,000 mt, reaching $251 million in value, 20.1 percent up, year-on-year. However, IABr did not release Brazilian steel export figures due to a change in Brazil’s government foreign trade system.
As for the accumulated period of January to August, Brazilian crude steel output was 23.1 million mt, 2.5 percent up, year-on-year.
Domestic steel sales in the eight-month period totaled 12.2 million mt, 10.2 percent up, year-on-year, while apparent steel consumption in the same period reached 13.8 million mt, 10 percent up, year-on-year.
IABr said Brazil’s steel imports in the January-August period totaled 1.7 million mt, 7.1 percent up, year-on-year, in terms of volume and 23.2 percent up, year-on-year, in terms of value, reaching $1.8 billion.