The COVID-19 pandemic helped ArcelorMittal Brasil grow its e-commerce steel sales by 38pc in March and April from the first two months of the year, following suspended operations.
E-commerce in Brazil has increased by 62pc during the pandemic, and it’s helped the company reach a sales feat in the last 60 days that it had initially targeted for 2021.
According to René Kahler Jr, regional sales director for ArcelorMittal Brasil’s long steel segment, steel sales on the company’s e-commerce platform doubled in H2 2019, although he didn’t disclosing the volume.
ArcelorMittal Brasil launched its e-commerce website in July 2015 to sell steel products nationally primarily to small steel consumers, like architecture firms, engineering companies, and people undertaking home renovations. The platform offers more than 500 steel products and solutions for civil construction, including rebar, wire, plates, and profiles, among others.
Crude steel output in Brazil decreased by 8.2pc to 2.6mn mt in March from 2.8mn mt a year ago, according to the latest figures from the Brazilian Steel Institute.