Colombian crude steel production decreased on-year in June. However, the local steel sector saw an improvement compared to May as it restarted operations following the initial Covid-19 pandemic impact, Kallanish learns from the latest report from local steel producers' association Comité Colombiano de Productores de Acero (CCPA).

The country’s crude steel output totalled 81,846 tonnes in June, down -31.8% year-on-year. This volume, however, was up by 16,690t or 25.6% on-month. Cumulative output over January-June was 492,175t, a fall of -26.8% on-year, CCPA data show.

Colombian long steel production in June, meanwhile, was 103,524t. This was almost 99.1% or 51,503t more versus May, but -11.1% less y-o-y. First-half-of-2020 longs output totalled 467,948t, down -30.9% compared to the volume of 677,431t in the corresponding period of 2019.

Colombian longs imports in April, meanwhile, totalled 41,288t. This volume was -60.1% less y-o-y and -33.6% lower than in March. Longs imports in January-April were 255,368t, down -20.3% y-o-y, the CCPA data show.