In 2012, Brazil's crude steel output fell 1.5 percent compared to 2011 to 34.7 million metric tons, according to the Brazil Steel Institute (IABr). In 2011, Brazilian crude steel output had increased by 6.8 percent on year-on-year basis. The country's rolled steel output increased in 2012 by four percent to 26.2 million metric tons, including 15.4 million metric tons of flat products - up 8.3 percent, and 10.8 million metric tons of long products - down 1.6 percent, all compared to 2011.
On the other hand, in December 2012 Brazilian crude steel production totaled 2.6 million metric tons, falling by 8.4 percent compared to November and down 2.6 percent compared to December 2011.
Brazil's rolled steel product output totaled 1.9 million mt in December, falling by 10.8 percent month on month and up 3.4 percent year on year. Of this total, the country's flat steel output stood at 1.3 million mt - down 4.2 percent from November and up 13.4 percent year on year, while Brazil's long steel output amounted to 670,100 metric tons, falling by 21.2 percent month on month and down 11.3 percent compared to December 2011.
Domestic steel product sales totaled 1.5 million metric tons in December, down 1.1 percent year on year, while domestic sales in the whole year totaled 21.6 million metric tons, increasing by 0.7 percent compared to 2011.
Brazil's exports of steel products in December amounted to 759,400 metric tons, falling by 18.4 percent, worth US$492.2 million, down 30 percent, both compared to December 2011. Steel product exports in 2012 totaled 9.7 million mt, worth US$7 billion, with decreases of 10.4 percent in volume and 16.8 percent in value compared to 2011.
Meanwhile, the country's steel import volume in December totaled 261,100 metric tons (US$286 million), with the total in 2012 amounting to 3.8 million metric tons of steel products (US$4.5 billion), stable compared to the previous year.