Brazil's flat and long outputs up

Brazilian Steel Association IBS has disclosed that the country's flat and long steel production recorded an increase in January 2007. Flat steel output rose 4.6 percent year on year to 1.29 million metric tons in January. Meanwhile, long steel production amounted to around 746,000 metric tons in January, up three percent year on year. Brazil's domestic sales rose 9.3 percent year on year to 1.45 million metric tons in the first month of 2007, thanks to demand from the construction and industrial machinery sectors.