Alacero, the Latin American steel association, has reported that in the January-August period of this year apparent finished steel use in Latin America and the Caribbean totaled 44.34 million mt, up five percent compared with the same period of 2016. The highest increases were registered in Mexico, up 1.3 million mt (+8.0%), in Brazil, up 539,000 mt (+4.0%), in Costa Rica, rising by 232,000 mt (+45%), in Argentina, growing 192,000 mt (+7.0%) and in Chile, up 56,000 mt (+2.0%), while finished steel consumption decreased by 94,000 mt (-22%) in Bolivia, was down 31,000 mt (-14%) in El Salvador, dropped by 33,000 mt (-8.0%) in Venezuela and declined by 13,000 mt (-6.0%) in Honduras, all on year-on-year basis.
In the January-August period of this year, regional finished steel trade registered an annual deficit of 8.3 million mt, rising by 18 percent year on year. In the given period, only Brazil and Argentina registered surpluses, of 2.0 million mt and 83,000 mt, respectively, while the largest steel trade deficit was recorded in Mexico (3.8 million mt), followed by Colombia (1.5 million mt), Chile (1.1 million mt) and Peru (1.0 million mt).
On the other hand, according to advance information, Latin American crude steel production amounted to 5.4 million mt in September this year, stable month on month and up by six percent compared to September 2016.
Meanwhile, in the January-August period this year finished steel production in Latin America and the Caribbean amounted to 35.1 million mt, up three percent year on year.