Latin American steel exports to the US fell in December 2020 on an annual basis due to lower supply from Mexico, Argentina, and Central American countries, however, Brazil increased its exports in the period.
Mexico’s steel exports to the US fell by 20pc to 233,252mt in December 2020, from 291,522 mt in the same month of 2019, according to the US Census Bureau.
Argentina’s steel shipments to the US also declined by 79.2pc to 4,336mt in December 2020, from 20,921mt in the same month of the prior year, while Brazil exports rose by 163.5pc to 35,509mt from 13,473mt during the same timeframe under review.
Carbon non-alloy steel
Mexican carbon non-alloy steel exports to the US dropped by 17.7pc in December 2020 to 168,326mt, from 204,691mt in the same prior-year period, while Argentina exported 724mt of the material down 97.8pc during the same period.
Brazilian exports of carbon non-alloys climbed by 114pc to 26,919mt in December 2020, from 12,575mt in the same month of the prior year.
Alloy products
Mexico’s exports of alloy steel products to the US declined by 26.1pc to 61,678mt in December 2020, from 83,480mt in December 2019, and Argentina’s exports of the product dipped by 79.3pc to 3,612mt from 17,517mt during the same timeframe. Brazil’s alloy steel exports to the US, however, climbed by 2,473.4pc to 8,235mt in December 2020, from 320mt exported in the same month of the previous year.
Latin America’s crude steel production fell on an annual basis in 2020 driven by lower output from Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.