Sales of flat steel products by Brazilian distributors reached 328,900 mt in May against 317,300 mt in April, according to the sector institute, INDA.
On a comparative basis, acquisitions by the distributor chain linked to INDA increased by 6.1 percent to 339,500 mt, while inventory levels increased by 1.0 percent to 1.072 million mt, representing the equivalent of 3.3 months of consumption—a level still considered “not comfortable” by the sector.
Imports in May increased by 41.5 percent from April, reaching 417,900 mt, including heavy plates, HRC, CRC, zinc-coated, HDG, pre-painted, and Galvalume products.
Compared to May 2024, sales in May 2025 increased by 4.2 percent, acquisitions increased by 8.1 percent, and imports increased by 71.5 percent.
INDA's expectations for June 2025 are that acquisitions and sales will increase by 4 percent compared to May 2025.
Speaking at a press conference, Carlos Loureiro, executive president of INDA, mentioned that there is an estimated volume of one million mt of finished steel products either stockpiled in Brazilian ports awaiting customs clearance or onboard ships on-route to Brazil.
This explains the high variation of the volume registered as imported, as importers usually decide to clear customs guided by the USD/BRL exchange rate of the day.