Shipments by Brazilian independent flat steel distributors and service centers in 2019 increased 9.6% over 2018 to 3.39 million mt, according to the most recent data from Inda, Brazil’s flat products distributors association.
In December, shipments reached 253,200 mt, up 34.2% on year.
Domestic purchases of steel in 2019 amounted to 3.17 million mt, an increase of 1.4% from full-year 2018. In December, purchases amounted to 291,200 mt, a growth of 47.9% from December 2018.
Flat steel imports totaled 1.09 million mt in 2019, down 8.9% from 2018. In December, flats imports dropped 43.3% on year to 53,760 mt.
Flat product inventories amounted to 800,200 mt at the end of December, up 5% from the end of November, while the inventory-turnover average closed December at 3.2 months of supply, the Inda data showed.
“Galvanized and hot-dip galvanized steel stocks are even lower, at 1 and 0.8 month, respectively,” said Inda President Carlos Loureiro, citing a shortage of these products in the market.
— Jose Guerra
