Brazilian flat steel distributors’ sales rose by 6.6pc to 3.6mn mt in 2020, from 3.3mn mt in the prior year, according to the National Institute of Steel Distributors (Inda).
Of the total amount, hot-rolled coil distributors’ sales increased by 8.9pc to 1.8mn mt in 2020, from 1.6mn mt in 2019, while cold-rolled coil distributors’ sales fell by 4.5pc to 582,500mt from 610,200mt during the same period, Inda said in a statement on Jan 19.
In December, flat steel distributors’ sales rose by 13.8pc to 288,000mt, from 253,200mt in the same month of the previous year.
Distributor purchases climbed by 9.1pc to 3.4mn mt in 2020, from 3.1mn mt in the previous year, Inda said adding that in December, purchases rose by 14.4pc to 333,200mt, from 291,300mt in the same month of 2019.
Flat steel imports dropped by 14.6pc to 931,844mt in 2020, from 1.09mn mt in 2019, but imports in December rose by 71.6pc to 92,233mt, from 53,761mt in December 2019, Inda noted. Flat steel inventory decreased by 15.6pc to 675,700mt in December 2020, from 800,200mt in the same prior-year period.
Brazil’s crude steel output fell by 4.9pc to 30.9mn mt in 2020, from 32.5mn mt in 2019, according to the Brazilian Steel Institute (Aço Brasil). On the other hand, in December, Brazilian crude steel production rose by 17.2pc to 2.8mn mt, from 2.4mn mt in December 2019.