Brazilian slab producers remain negotiating exports to the US at $590/mt, FOB conditions for the product of the basic commercial grades, the same price reference as last week, a local exporter told SteelOrbis.
He added that for exports to Europe, the reference price remains at $540/mt, under the same conditions.
Few new slab export deals have been closed recently, according to sources, due to the uncertainties derived from the strike by truck drivers that paralyzed most of the economic activities in the country over the last two weeks.
According to the source, the strike has negatively affected the operation of ports in May, raising fears that the volume of slab exported in May will show a sharp decline from the 486,300 mt exported in April.
In April, Ternium Brazil exported slab at $544/mt, Pecem at $524/mt, and Tubarao at $537/mt, all FOB price deals probably closed in February 2018.