Pig iron exports from Brazil dropped significantly

According to statistics, Brazil's iron exports continued to decline during the month of May this year. In May 2014, Brazil's pig iron exports totaled 83,000 tons. Total exports were down 16.8 percent compared with exports in May last year. In addition, exports fell 67.5 percent from the previous month, when pig exports totaled 256,000 tonnes.

The United States was the largest importer of Brazilian pig iron between January and May of this year. The United States imported 618,000 tons of Brazilian pig iron, accounting for more than 70 percent of the country's total pig iron exports during this period.

The second largest export destination for Brazilian pig iron was Mexico. The country's total pig iron exports to Mexico amounted to 62,000 tons. Mexican imports of Brazilian pig iron fell 50.2 percent from the previous year. Taiwan came in third with a total import of 58,000 tons, down nearly 62 percent from the previous year.

Pig iron exports from Brazil in the first five months of this year amounted to 861,000 tons. Total five-month exports were down 28.3 percent compared to exports during the corresponding period in 2013.