Slab of the basic commercial grades are now traded for export from Brazil in a range of $585/mt to $590/mt, FOB conditions, a local exporter told SteelOrbis. The price reference compares with a range of $580/mt to $590/mt last week.
According to the source, the slab price is expected to increase in the short term, reflecting the temporary suspension of the 25 percent import tariff imposed by the US authorities on steel imports.
In February, Companhia Siderurgica do Pecem exported slab at $354/mt, ArcelorMittal Tubarao exported at $414/mt, and Ternium Brazil exported at $389/mt, all FOB conditions, with price deals probably closed in December 2017.