Under the same scenario of competition between the domestic and export demands, the reference export price for the Brazilian slabs remains $580/mt, FOB conditions for the basic commercial grades.
The reference has held steady for three consecutive weeks, returning to its March 2026 level while still ranking among the highest prices seen over the past year, after reaching a peak of $605/mt in April 2026.
Brazilian slabs and other semifinished steel products have benefitted from the exclusion in lists of higher import tariffs for both the US and the EU.
In the first week of July, a Brazilian slab export was seen at $558/mt FOB, suggesting it may have been an inter-company sale rather than a transaction fully reflecting market conditions.
With Brazilian imports of Chinese HRC expected to face antidumping duties, as already applied to CRC and coated flat products, the reference price for slabs is likely to rise as demand increases for slabs used as feedstock to produce HRC and replace imported material.
