According to the Latin American Steel Manufacturers Association (Alacero), the Latin American steel market continued to weaken in October 2025, with lower production, lower exports, higher imports, and lower visible consumption throughout the region.
Production trends: crude steel and rolled products continue to fall
According to Alacero, crude steel production in Latin America totaled 4.7 million tons in October, a decrease of 4.9 percent year-on-year. In total, the production of unrefined steel was 2.7 percent lower compared to the period from January to October 2025.
Rolled steel production followed a similar trajectory, with output falling 5.3 percent year-on-year in October, while total rolled steel production decreased 3.9 percent between January and October 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year.
Visible consumption remains under pressure
Alacero said the apparent consumption of rolled steel in Latin America reached 6.3 million tons in October, reflecting a 1.1 percent year-on-year decline. Despite the October decline, visible consumption showed a positive cumulative balance of 1.3 percent year-on-year in January-October 2025. Meanwhile, steel imports accounted for 40.6 percent of apparent consumption.
Trade flows: imports are growing, exports are falling
According to Alacero, steel imports to Latin America rose 2.9 percent year-on-year in October, while total imports increased 7.5 percent in the first 10 months, with the most notable increases in imports recorded in Brazil, Chile and Argentina. On the contrary, exports continued to weaken. In October, regional exports totaled about 500,000 tons, which is 2.5 percent less than last year, while exports in the first ten months decreased by 9.2 percent year-on-year.
