Brazilian steelmaker and mining company Usiminas has launched a project costing 1.7 billion reals at its Ipatinga plant to rebuild Battery 4 of Coke Plant 2. This investment, planned to continue through 2029 in partnership with Ternium, aims to restore in-house coke production, create 800 jobs, and reduce reliance on external raw materials.
Usimina’s president, Marcelo Chara, highlighted that the initiative will modernize the plant and strengthen the local value supply chain. The project complements other ongoing improvements at the industrial complex, such as the new gas holder and the coal injection plant.
Furthermore, Chara advocated for the implementation of effective trade barriers against subsidized steel imports. He noted that mechanisms such as tariff-rate quotas have helped reduce the market share of foreign crude steel from 23% to 18% so far this year.