Wire rod exports from Brazil totaled a paltry 32,400 metric tons (mt) during February, off nearly 54 percent from the 69,600 mt recorded a month earlier for January, according to data released today from the Brazilian Secretariat of Foreign Trade (SECEX), part of the countries' Ministry of Industry, Development and Foreign Trade.
The decline reflects chiefly exports to the US, which were reduced by 73 percent, SECEX said, reaching 10,800 mt, on average at $693/mt, FOB conditions.
Other export destinations were South American countries (20,800 mt at $565/mt), and Canada (800 mt at $848/mt).
The exporters were ArcelorMittal (18,100 mt), and Gerdau (14,300 mt).
Meanwhile, Brazil imported 6,200 mt of wire rod in February, up nearly 48 percent from the 4,200 mt recorded a month earlier.
The origins of the imports in February were Egypt, (4,700 mt at $546/mt), China ,(1,200 mt at $507/mt), and Europe (300 mt at $970/mt), also FOB conditions.