Growing capacity to meet demand
|
| • | Total crude steel production reached 7.3 million metric tons, 2.6% higher than the previous year. The consolidated volume of rolled products grew 2.3%, reaching
6 million metric tons. |
 |
| • | In Brazil, output surpassed the 2000 figures by 4.8%, reaching 4.7 million metric tons of crude steel, largely due to the full consolidation of Açominas as of November 2001. Production of rolled products grew 3.4% to 3.4 million metric tons. |
|
| • | The Gerdau Group was able to meet the needs of its Brazilian customers despite the energy crisis and the 40-day stoppage at Açominas for a revamp of the blast furnace. Production of steel and rolled products was shifted to the south of the country, which was not subject to rationing, and to the integrated plants in Minas Gerais, which require less electrical energy, thus optimizing the use of available production capacity. An electricity rationalization program was established in all of Gerdau's industrial and administrative units, and new levels of operating efficiency were reached. Generators were also acquired to meet the need for additional electricity supply, especially in the downstream operations. |
|
| • | Crude steel production in Chile and Uruguay totaled 285,000 metric tons, an increase of 9.7%. The production of rolled steel in Chile, Uruguay and Argentina totaled
338,000 metric tons, an increase of 7.1%. This result was driven by the good performance in Chile, which showed an increase of 12.8% in crude steel and 12.5% in rolled products. This was due to the greater use made of the installed capacity at the Colina plant, which came on line in 1999. |
|
| • | Gerdau operations in Argentina produced around 1.3% of the Group's rolled products, adjusting production to the reduced demand resulting from the country's economic situation. Production of crude steel and rolled products in Uruguay was also adjusted to the realities of these markets. |
|
| • | North American operations were responsible for 2.3 million metric tons of crude steel: a reduction of 2.3% against 2000, resulting from the contraction in the US economy. Production of rolled products remained stable at 2.2 million metric tons. |
|
| • | The Canadian plants showed increases of 5% in volume of crude steel and 2.4% in rolled products. The units in the United States showed reductions of 4.7% in crude steel and 0.9% in rolled products. |
|
| Production of Crude Steel (thousand metric tons) |
|
|
 |
|
| Production of Rolled Products (thousand metric tons) |
|
|
 |
