Brazil's crude steel production reached 2.523 million metric tons (t) in February 2026, up from 2.676 million t in February 2025, according to the Brazilian Steel Institute IABR.
On a like-for-like basis, rolled steel output fell 0.3 percent to 1.840 million t, while flat steel production increased 2.0 percent to 1.059 million tons, and long steel production fell 3.2 percent to 781,000 tons.
Similarly, domestic sales of steel products fell 3.1 percent to 1.616 million tons, and apparent consumption of steel products increased 3.1 percent to 2.167 million tons.
Exports increased 55.2 percent to 1.191 million tons, and imports increased 34.2 percent to 629,000 tons. The IABR said the significant increase in exports reflects anticipation of shipments, which typically include volumes that were not effectively shipped during the month. Such deviations are likely to be recorded in the next publications of SECEX, the secretariat of foreign trade of the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
ICIA, an index measuring executive confidence in the Brazilian steel sector, recorded a reading of 49.3 points in March, down 8.3 points from January and returning to pessimistic sentiment among steel industry executives, with the index below the 50-point cutoff for optimism from pessimism.
This negative sentiment, according to the IABR, reflects pessimism (48.3 points) with expectations for the next six months, while there is moderate optimism (51.1 points) with the current state of the Brazilian economy.
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