Brazilian flats steelmaker Usiminas reportedly bought an additional 35,000 mt of slabs in August, following a blast at a gas unit at its Ipatinga mill, in the city of same name in the state of Minas Gerais.
According to Brazil media O Estado de SP, Usiminas made the additional slab purchase to meet its production raw material needs. Usiminas declined to comment.
Usiminas has been buying slab from third party companies, including Vale’s joint owned slab producer Companhia Siderurgica do Pecem (CSP), and Ternium Brasil, formerly known as Companhia Siderurgica do Atlantico (CSA).
According to company’s data, it processed over 357,000 mt of slabs purchased from third party companies in Q2 this year, down from 401,000 mt in Q1.