【Ferro-alloys.com】:The Brazilian steel producer Gerdau announced the restart of production, scheduled for January 02, at the Maracanaú and Caucaia plants, located in the northeastern state of Ceara.

The plants were temporarily idled two months ago, as a strategy to compensate for the reduced demand for steel products in the domestic market, which in the view of the company derived from the high volume of imports of steel products, chiefly from China, at dumping prices.
The Brazilian steel industry remains asking the authorities to impose a 25 percent import tariff for all steel products, as an alternative to face the alleged unfair competition.

According to analysts, the request has lost most of its power, as recently the combination of exchange rate variations and increased steel prices in international markets has reduced the difference between the imported steel product prices, after clearing customs, and the domestic prices.

Such premium had reached 35 percent recently, but according to the Brazilian steel distributors institute, INDA, it stands today around 10 percent, reducing intentions for import by the steel consuming sectors.

• [Editor:Alakay]