Alacero, the Latin American steel association, has reported that in the January-November period of last year apparent finished steel use in Latin America and the Caribbean totaled 60.7 million mt, up four percent compared with the same period of 2016. The highest increases were registered in Mexico, up 1 million mt (+4.0%), in Brazil, up 800,000 mt (+5.0%), in Argentina, rising by 209,000 mt (+5.0%), in Ecuador, growing 183,000 mt (+13%), in the Dominican Republic, up 37,000 mt (+9.0%), in Chile up 35,000 mt (+1.0%), in Paraguay up 25,000 mt (+9.0%) and in Colombia up 20,000 mt (+1.0%), while finished steel consumption decreased by 101,000 mt (-17%) in Venezuela, was down 87,000 mt (-15%) in Bolivia and declined by 53,000 mt (-11.0%) in Panama, all on year-on-year basis.
In the January-November period of 2017, regional finished steel trade registered an annual deficit of 10.4 million mt, rising by three percent year on year. In the given period, only Brazil and Argentina registered surpluses, of 3 million mt and 110,000 mt, respectively, while the largest steel trade deficit was recorded in Mexico (4.9 million mt), followed by Colombia (2.1 million mt), Chile (1.5 million mt) and Peru (1.3 million mt).
On the other hand, according to advance information, Latin American crude steel production amounted to 5.4 million mt in December last year, down one percent month on month and up by 15 percent compared to December 2016.
Meanwhile, in the January-November 2017 finished steel production in Latin America and the Caribbean amounted to 48.6 million mt, up three percent year on year.