Rio de Janeiro – Brazil’s crude steel output in 2016 reached 30.2 million tons, a decline of 9.2% in comparison to 2015. Rolled products output totaled 20.9 million tons last year, a drop of 7.7% over the previous year.
The data was made public this Tuesday (17) by the Brazil Steel Institute and shows predominantly negative numbers, along the same lines of Brazilian economy in general and of the industry in particular.
Steel Institute’s president, Marco Polo de Mello, said that, last year, the sector faced the worst crisis ever. The apparent consumption of steel products (domestic output plus imports, minus exports) declined 14.4% year-over-year, reaching 18.2 million tons in 2016. Domestic sales were also weaker, ending the year at 16.5 million tons, a drop of 9.1% in comparison to 2015.
Foreign trade also registered negative numbers, with imports ending the year down 41.4% with a total of 1.9 million tons. The sector’s imports reached USD 1.7 billion, down 45.9% over 2015.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani