Latin America’s apparent steel usage should increase from 67 million mt in 2018 to 68.9 million mt in 2019, said Francisco Leal, director general at Alacero, during the S&P Global Platts Steel Markets Latin America Conference. Leal added that apparent steel usage in Brazil in 2019 should rise from 20.6 million mt in 2018 to 21.7 million mt this year.
According to Alacero’s estimates, apparent steel usage in Mexico will reach 25.9 million mt in 2019, from 25.4 million mt in 2018. Argentina’s apparent steel usage is expected to drop to 4.5 million mt in 2019, from 4.8 million mt in 2018. Chile and Colombia should also see improved apparent steel usage prospects, Leal said. In Chile, apparent steel usage is forecasted to improve to 3.1 million mt in 2019, from 2.7 million mt in 2018. As for Colombia, the indicator is expected to reach 3.7 million mt in 2019, a slightly increase from 3.4 million mt in 2018.