Brazilian crude steel production in May rose 2.9 percent, year-on-year, to 2.8 million mt, local steel association, IABr, said this week. Domestic steel sales in May improved 31.3 percent, year-on-year, to 1.5 million mt. Apparent steel consumption in May reached 1.7 million mt, 28.2 percent up, year-on-year. Brazilian imports of steel in May reached 232,000 mt and $236 million in value, 4.1 percent down, year-on-year, in terms of volume, but 1,3 percent up, year-on-year, in terms of value.
As for the accumulated period of January to May, crude steel production totaled 14 million mt, 1.5 percent down, year-on-year. Brazil’s domestic steel sales in the January-May period reached 7.4 million mt, 4.6 percent up, year-on-year. Apparent steel consumption in the accumulated period of January to May rose 3.6 percent, year-on-year, to 8.4 million mt. Brazilian steel imports in the five-month period was 1.1 million mt, 5.3 percent up, year-on-year.