Steel consumption up 5% in Latin America in January-November 2012

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The volume was up by 5% over the corresponding period in 2011, the association said.

In December alone, consumption reached 5.5 million tonnes, up by 8% year-on-year.

Chile, Peru and Mexico registered the highest increases between January and November, respectively of 23%, 16% and 15%, to 2.9 million tonnes, 2.42 million tonnes and 19.01 million tonnes, Alacero noted.

Brazil was the biggest consumer, though, taking 23.43 million tonnes of finished steel products.

Mexico ranked second, followed by Argentina with 4.38 million tonnes.

Venezuela is traditionally the fourth-largest buyer of steel in the region, but the accumulated usage figure was only 1.03 million tonnes since Alacero has no data from the country from June to November.

Colombia’s steel use reached 3.26 million tonnes in January-November, while Ecuador’s totalled 1.03 million tonnes, the figures showed.