Production of unrefined steel in Latin America increased slightly in March, while rolled products, exports and imports declined, reflecting the mixed situation in the regional steel market amid still weak demand from key consumer sectors.
According to the Latin American Steel Association (Alacero), unrefined steel production in Latin America totaled 4.9 million tons in March, up 1.1 percent from last year, while output in the first quarter decreased 1.9 percent to 13.9 million tons. Rolled products production fell 2.2 percent year-on-year in March to 4.4 million tons, bringing total production in January-March to 12.6 million tons, down 1.8 percent from the same period in 2025. The apparent consumption of rolled products remained almost unchanged at 6.5 million tons, an increase of only 0.1 percent year-on-year.
Steel imports in Latin America totaled 2.5 million tons in March. March decreased by 8.6 percent year-on-year, while imports in the first quarter totaled 7.6 million tons, down 1.2 percent. Despite the monthly decline, imported steel still accounted for about 40 percent of the region's apparent consumption in the first quarter, maintaining a significant position in the Latin American steel market. In the period from January to March, imports increased in Brazil by 11.4 percent and in Colombia by 16.3 percent, while in Mexico they decreased by 18.1 percent and in Argentina by 2.6 percent.
Meanwhile, Latin American steel exports fell 13.4 percent year-on-year in March to 540,000 tons and decreased 11.7 percent in the first quarter to 1.7 million tons. Brazil was the only major regional exporter to record growth between January and March, while exports from Colombia, Mexico and Argentina declined. As a result, the region recorded a 1.9 million-ton steel trade deficit in March, while the deficit in the first quarter reached 5.9 million tons.
Demand conditions remained subdued in the first months of 2026, as most steel consumption sectors continued to show negative performance. The main exceptions were the automotive sector, which grew by 1.1 percent year-on-year in the first four months, and construction activity, which remained broadly at the level of the first quarter of the previous year.
