Jorge oliveira, President of ArcelorMittal Brazil and CEO of ArcelorMittal Flat Steel LATAM, stressed that a strong domestic steel industry is critical to Brazil's industrial sovereignty, economic growth and long-term competitiveness, according to Brazilian media reports.
He noted that steel plays a central role in supporting key sectors such as automotive, infrastructure, energy and construction.
Deindustrialization trends cause concern
Brazil, with an installed crude steel production capacity of about 51 million tons, remains the largest steel producer in Latin America.
However, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), oliveira highlighted the structural decline in manufacturing, whose share of GDP has fallen from about 36 percent in 1985 to about 11-12 percent today.
Import pressure and global overcapacity
Rising imports exacerbate challenges facing domestic industry.
Global steel overcapacity currently exceeds 600 million tons and is expected to exceed 700 million tons by 2027, increasing competitive pressure. oliveira said subsidized imports are entering Brazil under unfair competition conditions, contributing to high levels of idle capacity.
ArcelorMittal chief stressed that protecting the nation's steel sector is important not only to preserve jobs and incomes, but also to maintain technological capabilities
