Brazil's welded tube imports declined sharply in 2014

SAO PAULO (Scrap Monster): According to the latest set of data released by the Ministry of Development and Foreign Trade, the country’s carbon and alloyed welded tube imports dropped sharply in 2014. The imports declined 35% over the previous year.

The imports totaled 92,630 mt in 2014, dropping significantly by 35% when compared with the imports of 142,250 during entire year 2013. The primary exporter of carbon and alloyed welded tube to Brazil was China. The Brazilian imports from China totaled 19,945 mt in 2014, accounting for more than one-fifth of the total imports by Brazil during the year.

The Brazilian imports of carbon and alloyed welded tube during the month of Dec ’14 alone totaled 5,794 mt, sharply down by 18% when compared with the imports of 7,059 mt during Nov ’14. However, the imports climbed higher by 8% over the same month a year ago. The Brazilian imports during Dec ’13 had totaled only 5,358 mt. The key supplier during the month was Uruguay with 1,031 mt.

Meantime, the country’s imports of carbon seamless tubes totaled 81,305 mt in 2014, again 35% lower than the imports of 125,110 mt in 2013. For the whole year, China remained the main supplier of these products. Brazil’s carbon seamless tube imports from China totaled 44,209 mt, constituting more than 50% of the country’s imports. The imports during Dec ’14 alone totaled 5,152 mt, 46% down when compared with 9,615 mt imported during Dec ’13. The supplies from China totaled 2,787 mt.