Crude steel production in Latin America fell by 9pc to 60mn mt in 2019, compared with 65.5mn mt in the prior year, due to lower production in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina.
The Latin American Steel Association’s (Alacero) latest data noted that the largest production declines were reported in Brazil, which represented 56pc of the overall decrease in output. Mexico represented 30pc of the fall, followed by Argentina at 9pc.
Alacero indicated that the future outlook is uncertain from the coronavirus epidemic that could affect world trade as well as steel production as trade with China–one of the biggest consumers of the metal remains soft.
The association noted that the anti-dumping actions in the region grew in the last quarter of 2019 from 66 to 74, of which 50 were against China.
In December, Latin American crude steel production fell by 12pc to 4.5mn mt compared the same month of 2018, while rolled steel output declined by 11pc to 3.6mn mt, compared to the same month a prior year the Alacero data indicated.