The reference price for Brazilian slabs exports remained stable for a fifth week at $605/mt, FOB conditions, for the basic commercial grades, following a consistent period of increase from when markets were priced at $455/mt in October 2025.
And although more fresh export deals were noted at that price level, recent stability still reflects reduced export deals and higher sales in the domestic market, to CSN and Usiminas, insiders told SteelOrbis.
The outlook now reflects the possibility of more price increases in the short term, not only due to the mismatch between domestic slab supply and demand, but also due to the devaluation of the USD in relation to the Brazilian Real (BRL) achieving the lowest quotation of the USD in BRL since January 2024.
Most costs for Brazilian steelmakers are paid in BRL, with only some tied to USD, so higher slab prices are needed to maintain margins.
