Brazilian steel production increases 8.1%
Gazeta Mercantil - 03/24/2008
The Brazilian steel production has presented performance above the average of the international steelwork sector. Despite the reduction of the rhythm of growth of the production of raw steel in the world, Brazil continues in the level of 9% of production increase seen last year. In the whole world 106.85 million metric tons were processed in February, 5.3% above the same month of 2007. In the year, the increase was 4.9%. In the end of 2007, the index was 7.5%. China, the world largest producer and the main responsible for the strong growth of the sector in the last years, produced 38.88 million metric tons last February, 7% above the index of the same month of 2007. Even though it is still a high percentage, it is fairly below the past indexes. In 2007, for instance, Asia ended the year with an increase of 15.7% compared to 2006. Last February the increase was of 20% compared to the same month of the previous year. Brazil had growth of 8.1% in the second month of this year, with the production of 2.71 million metric tons. In the year, the Brazilian production has accumulated an increase of 9%, little below the 9.3% registered last year.