According to the Brazil Steel Institute (IABr), Brazilian crude steel production in the first two months of the current year amounted to 5.35 million metric tons, 0.1 percent lower year on year. In the same period, Brazilian rolled steel output increased by 1.3 percent to 4.04 million metric tons, including 2.26 million metric tons of flat products - down 3.7 percent, and 1.78 million metric tons of long products - up 8.3 percent, all on year-on-year basis.
Meanwhile, Brazilian steelmakers produced 2.61 million metric tons of crude steel in February of the current year, down 4.7 percent from January and up 1.2 percent year on year. Brazil's rolled steel product output totaled 1.99 million mt in February, decreasing by 3.4 percent month on month and up two percent year on year. Of this total, the country's flat steel output stood at 1.09 million mt, decreasing by 7.4 month on month and down 5.5 percent year on year, while Brazil's long steel output amounted to 900,500 metric tons, increasing by 1.8 percent month on month and up 12.7 percent compared to February 2013.
Brazilian domestic steel sales rose by 7.6 percent year on year in February this year to 1.80 million metric tons, while domestic sales in the first two months totaled 3.57 million metric tons, increasing by 3.4 percent year on year.
Brazil's exports of steel products in February amounted to 627,600 metric tons, falling by 23 percent, and worth US$415.8 million, down 18.5 percent, both compared to February 2013. Steel product exports in the first two months this year totaled 1.43 million mt, worth US$1.03 billion, with decreases of 18.1 percent in volume and five percent in value compared to the corresponding period of 2013.
Meanwhile, the country's steel import volume in February decreased by 15 percent year on year to 250,100 metric tons (US$279.1 million), while total steel imports in the first two months amounted to 561,400 metric tons (US$628.2 million), representing a 2.1 percent decrease in volume from the same period last year.