According to the Brazil Steel Institute (IABr), Brazilian crude steel production in the first five months of the current year amounted to 14.01 million metric tons, 0.8 percent lower year on year. In the same period, Brazilian rolled steel output decreased by two percent to 10.54 million metric tons, including 5.84 million metric tons of flat products - down 4.9 percent, and 4.70 million metric tons of long products - up two percent, all on year-on-year basis.
Meanwhile, Brazilian steelmakers produced 2.88 million metric tons of crude steel in May of the current year, up four percent from April and down 4.3 percent year on year. Brazil's rolled steel product output totaled 2.07 million mt in May, decreasing by five percent month on month and down 11.2 percent year on year. Of this total, the country's flat steel output stood at 1.10 million mt, decreasing by 11.8 month on month and down 15 percent year on year, while Brazil's long steel output amounted to 974,200 metric tons, increasing by four percent month on month and down 6.6 percent compared to May 2013.
Brazilian domestic steel sales decreased by 7.3 percent year on year in May this year to 1.89 million metric tons, while domestic sales in the first five months totaled 9.17 million metric tons, decreasing by two percent year on year.
Brazil's exports of steel products in May amounted to 544,900 metric tons, falling by 10.3 percent, and were worth US$451.6 million, down 11 percent, both compared to May 2013. Steel product exports in the first five months of the current year totaled 3.19 million mt, worth US$2.40 billion, with decreases of 18 percent in volume and 7.9 percent in value compared to the corresponding period of 2013.
Meanwhile, the country's steel import volume in May increased by 56 percent year on year to 415,500 metric tons (US$390.4 million), while total steel imports in the first five months amounted to 1.66 million metric tons (US$1.76 billion), representing a 15 percent increase in volume from the same period last year.