Alacero, the Latin American steel association, has reported that in 2014 apparent finished steel use in Latin America and the Caribbean totaled 69.5 million mt, up one percent as compared with 2013. The highest increases were registered in Mexico, up 2.35 million mt (+12%), in Colombia, up 742,000 mt (+21%), in Peru, up 670,000 mt (+24%) and in the Dominican Republic, up 137,000 mt (+36%), while finished steel
consumption in Brazil, Venezuela and Ecuador decreased by 1.75 million mt (-7%), 1.01 million mt (-36%) and 245,000 mt (-13%) respectively, all on year-on-year basis.
In 2014, regional finished steel trade registered an annual deficit of 14.4 million mt, increasing by 13 percent compared to 2013. In the given period, all Latin American countries presented steel trade deficits, led by Mexico with an imbalance of 5.1 million mt. Other countries that showed significant deficits were Colombia (2.4 million mt), Peru (1.9 million mt) and Chile (1.5 million mt).
On the other hand, Latin American
crude steel production amounted to 5.5 million mt in January this year, up two percent compared to the same period of 2014.
Meanwhile, in January finished steel
production in Latin America and the Caribbean amounted to 4 million mt, down 11 percent year on year.