Steel Brazil: steel consumption up 9.3% in the first half Apparent consumption of iron and steel products rose in the first half, despite the negative effects of the truckers' strike.



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(19,459,005). The index, which includes both local company sales and imports, rose 9.3 percent year-over-year to settle at 10.1 million tons, the company said. Brazilian Institute of Steel Wednesday afternoon (19659002). In the first half, 17.2 million tons of crude steel were produced, up 2.9% over the same period last year.

Domestic sales of steel totaled 8.8 million tons, up 9.9% year on year. Imports rose 5.6% to 1.3 million tonnes. Meanwhile, exports dropped by 5.7% between January and June, reaching 6.9 million tonnes.

Marco Polo Lopes, president of the Brazil Steel Institute, stressed that growth must be viewed with caution.

The president of the institute said that the recent adjustments in the price of steel applied in the Brazilian market are due to the big difference between the country's general inflation in recent years and the values ​​practiced by the industry

" Reduction of Objectives

The Steel Institute of Brazil, the Brazilian Institute of Steel and the Brazilian Steel Institute revised the targets for the sector in 2018, reducing expectations for various indicators.As for domestic sales, the entity plans an increase of 5% on year, at 17.7 million tons.The previous forecast was a 6.6% advance

For production, the previous goal was up 8.6% and was reduced by half, to increase by 4.3%, to 35.8 million

The estimate of apparent consumption is 4.9% of growth, to 20.1 million tonnes. The previous forecast was 6.9%.

"The indicators have been revised downward, because of the way the economy as a whole has behaved," said Lopes at a press conference

. exports. If previously, the entity forecast growth of 10.7%, it is now expecting a decline of 0.6% to 15.3 million tonnes.

"In previous forecasts, we did not have the impact of the growth of protectionism in the world, as it did in the United States and the European Union. "

Occupancy Rate

The organization does not see in the near horizon the possibility for the Brazilian steel industry to reach the ideal occupancy rate, between 80% and 85%. "We do not see any growth prospects for the economy and the apparent consumption of steel that allows us to resume 80% occupation in the next four or five years," he said. said Sérgio Leite, vice president of Steel Institute Brazil.

A common outlet, explains Leite, was the exports, but the adoption of trade barriers in the United States and Europe will not be

China

from the press conference, Steel Brazil's leaders also commented on imports from China. According to their understanding, the devalued real protected the local market from a stronger input of imported steel. The entity believes that, for now, the world's largest producer, China, should not be able to expand its presence in the country.

"There is no risk of flooding in China."

This possibility, however, is not completely ruled out, especially given the growing trade barriers that the world has pitched against steel. "

" That's not to say that there will be a Brazil can not become the receptacle of surplus steel in the world ", declared Mr. Lopes [ad_2]
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