Brazil exported 300 metric tons (mt) of heavy plates in May, against 11,300 mt in April, according to SECEX, the foreign trade secretariat of the ministry of development, industry and foreign trade.
The May volume, by far the lowest in recent years, reflects a combination of factors that include the absence of the US and Argentina as destinations, and the postponement of shipments from May to June.
May exports were all destined to South American countries, shipped by Gerdau (230 mt at $588/mt), traders (35 mt at $1,153/mt), CSN (22 mt at $921/mt), and Usiminas (12 mt at $951/mt), all FOB conditions.
Imports also declined sharply to 338 mt in May versus 2,200 mt in April shipped by Europe (289 mt at $1,612/mt) and China (49 mt at $1,486/mt).
Brazil’s heavy plate imports generally consist of special steel grades that are not produced domestically because production is not economically viable at the required scale.
