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Try the Free AI Search EngineBrazil Steel Market: Gerdau’s Import Concerns Clash with Stable Prices Amid Usiminas’ Production Cuts
Brazil’s steel market presents a mixed outlook, with concerns over import pressures contrasting with expectations of stable prices. According to “Imports stall steel price rise in Brazil: Gerdau“, cheaper imports are hindering domestic price increases. “Steel demand in Brazil to decline: Huciminas” highlights anticipated lower domestic steel sales and imports in Q4 due to seasonal trends, coupled with a significant drop in steel production. The plant activity data does not, however, directly reflect the drop in steel production, nor the impact of cheaper imports as both may be affected by other factors.
The average steel plant activity in Brazil experienced fluctuations between May and September 2025, ranging from 37% to 45%. A sharp drop to 17% was observed in October. ArcelorMittal Tubarão steel plant Activity remained consistently above the mean activity level across all observed plants in Brazil until the drastic fall in October.
ArcelorMittal Pecém, an integrated (BF) steel plant in Ceará with a 3,000 ttpa crude steel capacity primarily producing slabs, plates, and rolled steel for automotive, building, energy, and transport sectors, experienced a slight decrease in activity from May to August, bottoming out at 37% in August, followed by an increase, reaching 44% in October, despite the overall mean dropping to 17%. There is no direct connection between the plant activity data for ArcelorMittal Pecém steel plant and the named news articles.
CSN Volta Redonda, an integrated (BF) steel plant in Rio de Janeiro with a 6,250 ttpa crude steel capacity, produces a diverse range of semi-finished and finished rolled products. The plant activity remained relatively stable, fluctuating narrowly around the mean activity level across all observed plants in Brazil, with a value of 40% in October. There is no direct connection between the plant activity data for CSN Volta Redonda steel plant and the named news articles.
ArcelorMittal Tubarão, an integrated (BF) steel plant in Espírito Santo with a 7,500 ttpa crude steel capacity, primarily produces slabs, hot-rolled coils, and cold-rolled and galvanized steel. The plant exhibited activity consistently above the mean until September. Activity decreased notably from 68% in July to 43% in October. No direct connection between the plant activity data for ArcelorMittal Tubarão steel plant and the named news articles could be established.
Evaluated Market Implications
The drop in mean steel plant activity level across all observed plants in Brazil to 17% in October, coupled with Usiminas’ anticipation of lower steel sales and production (“Steel demand in Brazil to decline: Huciminas”), indicates a potential tightening of domestic supply.
Recommended Procurement Action: Steel buyers should prioritize securing slab supply for Q4 2025, especially from ArcelorMittal Pecém steel plant, which is an integrated plant. Closely monitor Gerdau’s progress in securing antidumping duties as mentioned in “Imports stall steel price rise in Brazil: Gerdau”.