Chilean suppliers’ long steel shipments to the domestic market rose month-on-month in February, increasing to their highest level since October, Kallanish notes.

According to data from the Chilean Chamber of Construction (CChC), domestic shipments of long steel products reached 63,054 tonnes in February, representing a 10.3% increase from the previous month but a 39.4% decrease year-on-year.

Shipments in the first two months of the year amounted to 120,198t, down 98,035t compared with 218,233t in January-February 2024.

Chile saw its output sharply fall following the definitive shutdown of long steel producer Compañía Siderúrgica Huachipato (CSH) in September. The country's January-February output was just 82,000t, or 57.6% lower y-o-y, with February representing 40,000t. The monthly volume dropped 2,000t from January and 56.7% compared with 92,000t in February 2024, according to World Steel Association data.