Brazilian crude steel production in September fell 22 percent, year-on-year, to 2.4 million mt, according to local steel association, IABr. Domestic steel sales in September totaled 1.6 million mt, 5.9 percent down, year-on-year.
Brazilian steel exports in September reached 869,000 mt in volume, 17.6 percent down, year-on-year, and $478 million in value, 32.1 percent down, also on a year-on-year basis.
Brazilian steel imports in September declined 18.2 percent, year-on-year, in terms of volume, reaching 184,000 mt, and 9.1 percent, year-on-year, in terms of value. Brazil imported $210 million in steel products in September.
As for the accumulated period of January to September, Brazilian crude steel output was 24.6 million mt, 7.3 percent down, year-on-year. Brazilian domestic steel sales in the nine-month period totaled 14 million mt, 2 percent down, year-on-year. Apparent steel consumption in the January-September period dropped 2.8 percent, year-on-year, to 15.6 million.
Brazilian steel imports in January-September reached 1.9 million mt in volume, 3 percent down, year-on-year. However, IABr said it did not release steel export figures for the nine-month period due to a change in Brazil’s foreign trade statistics, which brought data “inconsistencies” to steel figures reported for the second half of the year.