The figures from the first month of 2017 show an increase in consumption of steel (finished + derivatives) of 1 percent, while the regional production of crude and finished steel increased 13 percent and 4 percent, respectively, versus January 2016.
Latin America and the Caribbean produced 5.2 million tons (Mt) of crude steel in January 2017, 13 percent higher than the volume recorded in January 2016 (4.6 Mt). In the same period, Latin America produced 4.3 Mt of finished steel, 4 percent higher than January 2016. In the first month of 2017, finished steel consumption in the region reached 5.2 Mt, up 1 percent from January 2016. Conversely, in Argentina finished steel consumption shrank by 6.2 thousand tons, down 16 percent from January 2016.
Information for February 2017 indicates that crude steel production reached 4.9 Mt, 6 percent less than January 2017 and 6 percent more than February 2016. The production of finished steel closed at 4.1 Mt in February 2017, 4 percent less than January 2017 and 1 percent more than February 2017.