In January this year, Brazilian crude steel production totaled 2.8 million metric tons, rising by 8.3 percent as compared to December and up by 1.1 percent from January 2012, according to preliminary data released by the Brazil Steel Institute (IABr).
Brazil's rolled steel product output totaled 2.05 million mt in January, rising by 5.4 percent month on month and up 1.6 percent year on year. Of this total, the country's flat steel output stood at 1.2 million mt - down 5.15 percent from December and up 5.3 percent year on year, while Brazil's long steel output amounted to 840,600 metric tons, rising by 25.4 percent month on month and down 3.2 percent compared to January 2012.
Brazil's domestic steel product sales totaled 1.8 million metric tons in January, rising by 4.5 percent year on year, while exports of steel products in January amounted to 932,900 metric tons - up 9.9 percent year on year, worth US$573.5 million, down 6.2 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, the country's steel import volume in January totaled 278,000 metric tons, worth US$365.3 million, decreasing 17.9 percent in volume and 13.1 percent in value from the same month last year.