Brazil's finished steel exports surge to Latin America

9 April 2026: Brazil’s steel export trends highlight a 19.6% increase in finished steel exports in March, contrasted by a sharp 38.0% decline in semi-finished exports, following active sales earlier this year. 

In the first quarter of 2026, both finished and semi-finished steel products showed a sharp increase in shipments - by 10.8% and 12.2%, to 678 thousand tonnes (kt) and 2.07 million tonnes (mt), respectively. 

In the first months of 2026, demand for semi-finished rose rapidly in Europe as recent trade regulations in the USA market increased pressure on Brazilian prices, but overall sales slowed in March. US deliveries fell from 1.63 mt to 1.2 mt in the third quarter, in response to tighter trade regulations.

At the same time, shipments of finished steel products increased mainly to Latin American countries, with German buyers notably rising imports in March, while Turkish customers booked significant tonnages in the first month of the year.