Comparative advantage

[VetLegion]

Interesting, since Brazil has next to no coal. The whole of South America is the coalless continent on Earth.

[dannubis]

the coal used in the blast furnace process is comming from around the world anyway. as is the iron ore (optimum compositional aims and such). but in brasil the iron ore has one of the lowest percentages of phosphorous, an element which is very difficult to remove from the raw iron. normal procedure is to blow air (oxigen) trough the liquid iron and burn the impurities away, bit since iron and phosphorous 'burn' at the same potential it is not possible to remove P this way.

[Dracon II]

There was a steelworks in Newcastle... but it was shut down. Not sure if there are any others.