Latin American regional markets are gradually normalizing to pre-pandemic levels as crude steel production increased 19.8mn between January and May this year according to Alejandro Wagner, executive director, Latin American Steel Institute (Alacero).
The region’s crude steel output volumes stood at 26.7mn mt compared to 22.3mn mt during the period under review, Wagner reiterated to media on Jul 22. Production in May 2021 grew 48.2pc to 5.6mn mt as against 3.8mn mt in the same month last year.
Rolled steel production climbed 24.8pc to 23.2mn mt in the first five months of this year, compared to 18.6mn mt during the same period in 2020. In May, the output was 66.9pc higher, at 4.9mn mt compared to 2.9mn mt last year.
Rolled steel imports improved in 2021, growing 27.2pc to 9.1mn mt in January-April, compared to 7.2mn mt during the same time last year. April shipments into the region climbed 67.8pc to 2.7mn mt in 2021 from 1.6mn mt in 2020.
By contrast, exports fell 13pc to 2.4mn mt this January to April from 2.7mn mt in the same prior-year period. In April 2021, shipments of rolled steel to other destinations grew 1.5pc to 586,800mt compared to 577,900mt during 2020.
According to the Alacero report, rolled steel consumption in the region rose 27.9pc to 25.1mn mt between January and April 2021 from 19.6mn mt last year. Meanwhile, this April the increase was 71.3pc to 6.6mn mt compared with 3.9mn mt in the same month last year.