Alacero, the Latin American steel association, has reported that in the first four months of this year apparent finished steel use in Latin America and the Caribbean totaled 22.4 million mt, up three percent compared with the same period of 2017. The highest increases were registered in Brazil, up 782,000 mt (+13%), in Argentina, up 395,000 mt (+27%) and in Panama, rising by 53,000 mt (+51%), while finished steel consumption decreased by 33 percent in Uruguay, was down 21 percent in Peru and dropped by 18 percent in Bolivia, all on year-on-year basis.
In the January-April period of this year, regional finished steel trade registered an annual deficit of 3.5 million mt, decreasing by 34 percent year on year. In the given period, only Brazil registered a surplus, amounting to one million mt, while the largest steel trade deficit was recorded in Mexico (1.3 million mt), followed by Colombia (719,000 mt), Chile (529,000 mt), Peru (421,000 mt) and Ecuador (403.000 mt).
On the other hand, according to advance information, Latin American crude steel production amounted to 5.3 million mt in May this year, declining by five percent month on month and down by four percent compared to May 2017.
Meanwhile, in the January-April period this year finished steel production in Latin America and the Caribbean amounted to 18.5 million mt, up seven percent year on year.