The Brazilian production of crude steel has reached 2.584 million mt in May 2024, 7.4 percent less than in May 2023, according to the Brazilian steel institute IABr.
Under the same comparative basis, the production of rolled products declined by 1.9 percent to 1.860 million mt, with the production of flat products declining by 0.6 percent to 1.075 million mt and the production of long products declining by 3.6 percent to 785,000 mt.
Similarly, domestic sales of steel products increased by 0.4 percent to 1.711 million mt and the apparent consumption of steel products increased by 4.9 percent to 2.144 million mt, while exports declined by 12.1 percent to 954,000 mt and imports increased by 44.4 percent to 561,000 mt.
Considering the first five months of 2024, on yearly basis the crude steel production increased by 0.6 percent to 13.560 million mt, domestic sales increased by 1.9 percent to 8.320 million mt, exports declined by 16.0 percent to 4.238 million mt, imports increased by 26.4 percent to 2.308 million mt and the apparent consumption of steel products increased by 5.1 percent to 10.259 million mt.
The institute has reviewed its forecasts for 2024, in relation to the forecasts made late last year.
The crude steel production is now expected to increase by 0.7 percent, against a previous expectation for a decline of 3.0 percent.
Similarly, domestic sales of steel products should now increase by 2.5 percent, against a 6.0 percent decline previously forecasted, while imports will decline by 7.0 percent, against a 20.0 percent increase previously.
The review of the expectations is driven chiefly by the recent imposition of quotas and higher taxes on imports of nine families of steel products.