Brazilian crude steel production in November was 3 million mt, 15.3% above the output registered in the same month a year ago, according to data released by Brazilian steel institute Aco Brasil.
Output of rolled steel goods grew 11.9% when compared to November 2016, reaching 2 million mt in the month. Imports, meanwhile, dropped 27.2% to 166,000 mt. In value, these imports grew 2.9% over year to $177 million.
Apparent steel consumption in November 2017 was 1.6 million mt, up 4.1% from a year earlier.
Exports totaled 1.3 million mt and were worth $757 million, up 14.1% in volume and up 55.1% in value.
In January-November, production reached 31.5 million mt, 9.1% above the volume registered in the same period a year ago, the data showed. Finished steel output totaled 20.6 million mt, up 5.8% when compared to the year-ago period. Domestic sales were 15.5 million mt, up 1.4% year over year.
Apparent steel consumption was 17.6 million mt, up 4.8% from January-November 2016.
Imports in the 11-month period rose 30.1% year on year. Brazil imported 2.2 million mt January-November 2017, with the value up 34.8% at $2.1 billion.
Exports in the period totaled 13.9 million mt, valued at $7.2 billion. Year over year, exports grew 14.3% in volume and 42.9% in value.
"It is important to note that the production and export indicators accumulated in 2017 are positively impacted by the fact that a Companhia Siderurgica do Pecem (CSP) started operations only in the second half of 2016," Aco Brasil said.
A lack of CSP data during the first half of 2016, continued Aco Brasil, "maintains a low basis of comparison versus the period of 2017, creating distortions that will disappear only from January 2018."
