Brazilian crude steel production increased by 40.1% in May compared with the same period last year.

Brazil's crude steel production rose 40.1% in May from a year earlier to 3.1 million tons, according to a report this week by the local steel association IABr.

Domestic steel sales in Brazil rose 73.9 per cent in May from a year earlier to 2.1 million tons, while total apparent steel consumption in May was 2.5 million tons, up 83 per cent from a year earlier.

Steel imports reached 550000 tons in May, up 267.7 per cent from a year earlier, while imports were $448 million, up 195.3 per cent from a year earlier.