São Luís, 12/15/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - With monthly production running at 140 tons worth some US$22.5 million, the steel mills in Açailândia, Maranhão, have become one of the states most important industrail centers.

The so-called North system of steel production (the states of Pará and Maranhão) exports 99% of its production to the US, Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Italy and Spain. In 2002, the North system exported slightly over 2 million tons of galvanized iron, of which 1.4 million tons was from Maranhão. (AB)