Latin America’s steel association Alacero expects the local steel sector to post increased figures for the ongoing year, according to remarks at the association’s annual conference in Cancun, Mexico this week.
Alacero president Jefferson de Paula estimated steel consumption in the region in 2017 to rise 3.7 percent, year-on-year. Despite the increase, the figure should be below the world’s apparent steel consumption growth, which is forecast to increase 7 percent in 2017, year-on-year.
During his remarks in the opening ceremony of the Alacero conference, de Paula said steel imports should still represent 35 percent of the region’s apparent steel consumption in 2017, out of which 8.5 million mt from China.