From the Field to the Dashboard – Built by Experts, for Experts.
Discover What's Really Happening in the Steel Industry
Use the AI-powered search engine to analyze production activity, market trends, and news faster than ever before.
Try the Free AI Search EngineBrazil Steel Market Shows Mixed Signals: HRC Imports Dip, Wire Rod Exports Surge Amidst Plant Activity Shifts
Brazil’s steel market presents a nuanced picture. The recent decline in hot-rolled coil (HRC) imports, as reported in “Brazil’s HRC imports decline in Sep,” coincides with fluctuating activity levels at major steel plants. Simultaneously, the surge in wire rod exports, highlighted in “Wire rod exports from Brazil increase in September,” suggests a shift in export dynamics. The trend of declining heavy plate exports reported in “Exports of heavy plates from Brazil decline again in September” further contributes to the market’s complexity.
The average steel plant activity in Brazil peaked in July at 45% and then declined sharply to 14% in October. ArcelorMittal Tubarão shows a consistent activity until July (65-68%), followed by a significant drop to 43% in October. ArcelorMittal Piracicaba shows a similar pattern, declining steadily from April (65%) to October (53%). AVB Açailândia remained relatively stable around 32-35% throughout the period. The most significant deviation from the mean is observed at ArcelorMittal Tubarão, which consistently operated well above the average until October, when it experienced a substantial decrease. It is not possible to directly link this observed activity in the provided news articles.
ArcelorMittal Tubarão, an integrated steel plant in Espírito Santo with a crude steel capacity of 7.5 million tons, utilizes BF/BOF technology to produce slabs, hot-rolled coils, and cold-rolled/galvanized steel. The plant’s activity peaked in July at 68% but then dropped sharply to 43% by October. This significant decrease may correlate with the reduced HRC imports reported in “Brazil’s HRC imports decline in Sep,” although a direct causal relationship cannot be definitively established based on the provided information.
ArcelorMittal Piracicaba, located in São Paulo, is an electric arc furnace (EAF) steel plant with a crude steel capacity of 1.1 million tons, producing rebar, wire rod, and threaded rods. The plant’s activity declined from 65% in April to 53% in October. While “Wire rod exports from Brazil increase in September” indicates increased wire rod exports, no direct correlation can be established between the increased exports and the plant’s declining activity.
AVB Açailândia, an integrated steel plant in Maranhão with a crude steel capacity of 600,000 tons, uses BF/BOF technology to produce billets, rebar, and wire rod. The plant’s activity remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 32% and 35% throughout the period. No direct connection can be established between the news articles and plant activity at AVB Açailândia.
The decline in activity at ArcelorMittal Tubarão, coupled with the reduced HRC imports, suggests potential constraints in the supply of flat steel products. Steel buyers should consider diversifying their sourcing strategies to mitigate risks associated with potential supply disruptions, particularly for hot-rolled coils. Given the rise in wire rod exports, buyers dependent on domestic supply may face increased competition and potentially higher prices. Procurement strategies should focus on securing long-term contracts to ensure stable supply and hedge against price volatility. The declining heavy plate exports and rising heavy plate imports call for close monitoring of price differences between suppliers from China and Europe.