page_banner

South America Steel Imports Outlook 2026: Infrastructure, Energy and Housing Drive Structural Demand Surge

Buenos Aires, January 1, 2026 – South America is entering a new cycle in steel demand as investments in infrastructure, energy development, and urban housing projects accelerate in several countries. Industry forecasts and trade data indicate that 2026 will see a new boom benefiting steel import services, particularly for structural steel, heavy plate, tubular products, and long steel for construction, as domestic supply is insufficient to meet project requirements.

From Argentina’s shale oil expansion and Colombia’s housing pipeline to Bolivia’s lithium-based industrial growth, imported steel is increasingly establishing itself as a strategic input for national development programs across the region.

Argentina: Vaca Muerta and Infrastructure Spending Anchor Import Growth

Argentina’s steel production is expected by its steel associations to increase to 13% in 2026, led by continuous investment in Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas basin and large scale public works projects including highways, dams and energy corridors.
Everything that has occurred is structurally steel-intensive. Demand is anticipated to focus on:
Medium - and heavy-duty steel plate for dams, power plants and civil engineering works
Steel for pipelines and welded line pipes to oil, gas and water supplies
Structural sections for bridges, railways and public buildings
Domestic mills will presumably increase production, but the need for specific grades and the tight supply situation—particularly for thick plate and pipeline grades—indicate that imports will continue to play an important role in balancing the market. Industry sources say Argentina may import as much as several hundred thousand tonnes of flat and structural steel products in 2026, subject to the pace of project implementation and financing situation.

Colombia: Housing Construction Sustains Long Steel Import Demand

The steel market in Colombia is a different story: local production has weakened but so far the building sector is holding up. Source: Forge Consulting According to representatives of the construction industry, the consumption of steel continues to be high by the ongoing projects for urban housing, mainly in the category of rebar.
Therefore, long steel imports are increasing not out of desire but need to make up for declining domestic supply. Important imported products are:
Steel rod (rebar) for commercial and residential/municipal structures
Wire rod and merchant bar for making and hardware
Utility and infrastructure installations using steel pipes
Trade flows have already adjusted. Colombia has been increasingly sourcing iron and steel articles from around the region and beyond, with demand for housing driving the need for steel to be used in construction largely providing structural support into 2026 through urbanization and public investment programs.

Bolivia: Lithium Development Reshapes Industrial Steel Demand

Bolivia’s lithium mining ramp up is becoming yet another source of demand for steel in South America. Building large steel-frame industrial plants, processing plants and accompanying power infrastructure is leading the country to greater imported steel product dependence.
Steel demand tied to lithium development is focused around:
Heavy structural sections (H-beams, columns) for processing plants
Industrial purpose steel plates and fabricated steel components
Electric steel products and transmission towers for grid expansion
Due to Bolivia’s relatively underdeveloped domestic steelmaking and fabrication capabilities, industry participants anticipate that dozens of thousand of tons of structural and electrical steel will be imported through 2026 as projects advance from planning to execution.

Regional Context: Imports Offset Structural Supply Gaps

At the regional level, South America continues to face a structural imbalance between steel demand growth and local production capacity. Data from the Latin American Steel Association (Alacero) show that imports accounted for more than 40% of apparent steel consumption in late 2025, a share that has been trending upward as infrastructure investment recovers.
This import dependence is particularly pronounced for:
Pipeline-grade and energy steel
Heavy plates and high-strength structural sections
Quality-certified rebar and long products
As governments prioritize energy security, logistics connectivity and housing supply, imported steel remains essential to maintaining construction momentum.

2026 Forecast: Key Imported Steel Categories in South America

Based on announced projects, trade flows and sector demand patterns, the following steel categories are expected to dominate South American imports in 2026:

Steel Product Category Core Applications Estimated Import Volume (2026)
Structural sections (I/H/U beams) Buildings, factories, bridges 500,000 – 800,000 tonnes
Medium & heavy plate Dams, energy, infrastructure 400,000 – 600,000 tonnes
Line pipe & welded tubes Oil & gas, utilities 300,000 – 500,000 tonnes
Rebar & construction long steel Housing, urban projects 800,000 – 1.2 million tonnes
Transmission & electrical steel Power grids, substations 100,000 – 200,000 tonnes

Prospects for the South American steel industry in 2026 point to a continuing import orientation, in particular for higher specification and project-critical steel products. Infrastructure-driven demand is expected to grow faster than domestic production even when local suppliers bounce back in several countries.
The region is a structurally compelling destination for global steel exporters, underpinned by energy transition investments, mining expansion, and continued urbanization. For the South American economies, steel imports are not only a trade figure — they are a necessary condition for growth, modernization and industrial change.

ROYAL GROUP

Address

Kangsheng development industry zone,
Wuqing district, Tianjin city, China.

E-mail

sales01@royalsteelgroup.com

Phone

Sales Manager: +8613652091506

Hours

Monday-Sunday: 24-hour Service

Post time: Jan-08-2026