Sales of flat steel products by Brazilian distributors reached 317,300 mt in April, compared to 331,700 mt in March, according to the sector institute, INDA.
On a comparative basis, acquisitions by the distributor chain linked to INDA declined by 3.2 percent to 320,100 mt, while inventory levels increased by 0.1 percent to 1.061 million mt, representing the equivalent of 3.3 months of consumption—a level still considered “not comfortable” by the sector.
Imports in April decreased by 14.7 percent from March, reaching 293,300 mt, including heavy plates, HRC, CRC, zinc-coated, HDG, pre-painted, and Galvalume products. Compared to April 2024, sales in April 2025 declined by 4.5 percent, acquisitions decreased by 7.4 percent, and imports increased by 21.0 percent.
INDA's expectations for May 2025 are that acquisitions and sales will increase by 3 percent compared to April 2025.
Speaking at a press conference, Carlos Loureiro, executive president of INDA, mentioned that imports remain the primary challenge for the Brazilian steel industry. He noted that currently, there is an estimated volume of one million mt of finished steel products either stockpiled in Brazilian ports awaiting customs clearance or onboard ships en route to Brazil.
In his opinion, the existing quota system has proven inefficient and should be replaced by a 25 percent import tariff on all steel products, a measure already adopted by other countries.