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The value of goods exported from Latin America and the Caribbean went up by 15.7% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, after a 7.8% growth in 2025, according to the latest edition of ‘Trade Trends Estimates – Latin America and the Caribbean,’ a report from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
This increase reflects faster growth in volumes and export prices. Regional export growth was mainly driven by mining products, especially gold and copper, and by strong performances in agri-food products like soy, coffee, and meat. Oil exports also made a significant contribution to this growth.”The region continues to improve its export performance and shows a growing ability to adapt, even in an uncertain and volatile global trade environment,” said Paolo Giordano, chief economist in the Productivity, Trade, and Innovation sector at the IDB and coordinator of the report.
This export momentum offers an opportunity to advance reforms aimed at boosting productivity and competitiveness, diversifying participation in international markets, and strengthening resilience to external shocks.The region’s business outlook remains positive despite a very uncertain environment. Changes in global prices could put extra pressure on energy and food-importing countries, while benefiting commodity exporters. However, rising fertilizer and transportation costs could affect production and marketing expenses, creating both opportunities and risks for the region’s export performance in the coming months.Total imports in Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to grow by about 6.7% in 2025 and by 9.7% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026. This acceleration is mainly due to purchases made outside the region, while intraregional trade has seen more moderate growth.
Commodity prices have followed diverging trends in 2026, reflecting increasing fragmentation and fluctuations in global supply and demand.
