Shipments by Brazilian independent flat steel distributors and service centers in 2017 slipped 2.6% year over year to 2.96 million mt, flats distributors' association Inda said Tuesday.
In 2016, shipments from these players totaled 3.04 million mt.
Shipments of hot-rolled carbon steel sheet were the most representative from the total, accounting to 1.42 million mt -- a drop of 5.8% when compared to 1.5 million mt shipped in 2016.
Cold-rolled sheet was the second main product in volume shipped by these distributors, totaling 566,700 mt. The volume, though, is 2.4% below the shipments registered in full 2016 (580,800 mt).
Hot-dipped galvanized and electro galvanized steel sheet were the products that registered growth in shipments last year: 11.5% and 18.5%, respectively. Shipments of HDG reached 478,200 mt (from 429,800 mt in the previous year) and shipments of EG totaled 7,300 mt (from 6,100 mt in 2016).
Purchases from mills by flats distributors in full year 2017 were 2.96 million mt, 0.7% below the 2.98 million mt purchased the year before.
Imports by these independent flat steel distributors and service centers jumped 82.8% over year last year to 1.24 million mt, up from 679,775 mt in 2016.
China was the biggest supplier of these products, sending 673,142 mt (54.2% of the total). Austria was the second main supplier sending 117,581 mt (9.5% of the total).
Considering December only, shipments grew 0.1% year over year to 221,200 mt (from 221,000 mt). Purchases from mills grew 5.9% over year to 214,100 mt (from 202,100 mt).
Inventories at the end of December totaled 900,400 mt, down 0.8% from November, while the inventory-turnover average increased to 4.1 months of supply.
For January, Inda expects shipments and purchases to jump 12% above December totals.
"Expectation for 2018 is that purchases can grow 4.5% over 2017's totals to 3.09 million mt," Inda President Carlos Loureiro said.
