Apparent consumption of galvanized sheet (HDG) in Mexico decreased 3.5 percent in March, year-over-year, to 357,000 metric tons (mt). This breaks the positive trend of the last nine months (8 in double digits), according to data from the Mexican Chamber of the Iron and Steel Industry (Canacero) reviewed by SteelOrbis.
For the fourth consecutive month, galvanized sheet was the third most consumed finished steel product in the Mexican economy. From April to November of last year, it was the second most consumed product.
Production decreased 9.1 percent, year-over-year, in March to 252,000 mt. Thus, the positive trend of the last 11 months (since April 2023) was also broken.
In the international market, imports to Mexico increased 4.3 percent to 146,000 mt. In March, it was the third largest imported product, surpassed by alloy steel flats with 156,000 mt and by cold rolled sheet coils (CRC) with 152,000 mt.
Despite being the second largest export product, in March it decreased 11.1 percent to 40,000 mt. The HDG was only surpassed by the 62,000 mt of seamless steel pipes.
In the accumulated to March, consumption increased 4.3 percent to 1.09 million mt, production decreased marginally 0.1 percent to 806,000 mt. Imports increased 12.2 percent to 398,000 mt and exports decreased 1.9 percent to 113,000 mt.
Industry data shows that the producers of galvanized sheet in Mexico are Ternium, Tyasa, Posco México, Villacero, Nucor-JFE Steel México and Galvasid (LM Group).