Alacero, the Latin American steel association, has reported that in the January-March period of this year apparent finished steel use in Latin America and the Caribbean totaled 16.8 million mt, up three percent compared with the same period of 2017. The highest increases were registered in Brazil, up 439,000 mt (+10.0%), in Argentina, up 351,000 mt (+33.0%) and in Panama, rising by 34,000 mt (+42.0%), while finished steel consumption decreased by 34 percent in Uruguay, was down 17 percent in Venezuela and declined by 13 percent in Guatemala, all on year-on-year basis.
In the January-March period of 2018, regional finished steel trade registered an annual deficit of 2.7 million mt, falling by 18 percent year on year. In the given period, only Brazil registered a surplus, of 825,000 mt, while the largest steel trade deficit was recorded in Mexico (991,000 mt), followed by Colombia (561,000 mt), Peru (469,000 mt), Chile (391,000 mt) and Ecuador (277,000 mt).
On the other hand, according to advance information, Latin American crude steel production amounted to 5.6 million mt in April this year, down four percent month on month and up by five percent compared to April 2017.
Meanwhile, in the January-April period of 2018 finished steel production in Latin America and the Caribbean amounted to 18.4 million mt, up seven percent year on year.