Latin American steel production increased by 21.6pc between January and September compared to the first nine months of last year, the Brazilian Steel Institute (Aço Brasil) reported today in its quarterly statistical report.
The region produced 48.8mn mt in Jan-Sept 2021, compared to the 40.1mn mt from the same year-ago period.
The largest producer in the region was Brazil, whose output increased 21.2pc in the first three quarters of the year, to 27.4mn mt from 22.6mn mt between January and September 2020. In this period, Brazil produced 56.2pc of steel in Latin America.
Mexico increased its output 14pc between Q1-Q3 2021, to 13.9mn mt from 12.2mn mt in the same period last year. This figure put the country in second place, with 28.6pc of production in the region.
In Argentina, production in the first nine months of the year grew 42.5pc, to 3.5mn mt from 2.5mn mt. With 7.3pc of production, it ranked third in the region.
In Q3 2021, steel production in Latin America reached 16.5bn mt, according to the Aço Brasil report.
On Nov 17, at Alacero Summit 2021, Maximo Vedoya, chief executive officer, Ternium, highlighted Colombia, Argentina, and Brazil as countries with a lot of potential in steelmaking, and these figures seem to corroborate that statement.