South American and Mexican crude steel production decreased year-on-year in March. Regional output was also down in the first quarter compared to 2018, according to the latest World Steel Association (worldsteel) data monitored by Kallanish.

The region's crude steel output totalled 3.51 million tonnes in March, or -9.9% less y-o-y. During the first quarter of 2019 crude steel production amounted to almost 10.5mt. This volume represents a decrease of -4.1% compared to the same period of last year.

In March, Brazilian crude steel production reached 2.79mt, -8.6% down y-o-y. The country’s cumulative steel output in the three-month period was 8.39mt, 238,000t less or -2.8% compared to Q1 2018.

The second largest producer of the region, Argentina, also saw its crude steel output dip by -30.7% y-o-y in March to only 328,000t. Argentinian cumulative production in Q1 2019 amounted to 1.01mt, or -17.6% down compared to the same period of last year.

The third-largest steel producer in South America in March was Chile with an estimated output of 120,000t, or 12.9% more y-o-y. Chilean Q1 crude steel production rose by 5.8% to 315,000t, data show. Meanwhile, Peruvian estimated production in the same period decreased by -1.9% y-o-y to 291,000t. Country`s output was 100,000t in March alone, or -5.0% down on the same month in 2018.

Further north, Mexico saw its crude steel production decrease by -4.4% on-year in Q1 2019, as the country produced 4.97mt. Mexico`s output slipped also monthly on-year by -3.9% reaching 1.78mt in March, according to worldsteel data.