According to sources, Brazilian producers remain negotiating slab export deals for shipments in May having $645/mt, FOB conditions for the basic commercial grades, as the reference price.
The price is stable from last week as the guideline for the export negotiations, when at least one deal was closed at such price level.
Preliminary numbers for February remain pointing to a volume of slabs exported for the whole month declining from the 575,400 mt exported in January, while so far two import slab cargoes of 46,700 mt each at $582/mt, FOB conditions, have cleared customs in a Brazilian port.
In January, Brazilian slab imports have reached 23,400 mt, a single cargo imported by Usiminas from Japan at $462/mt, FOB conditions.