By: Staff Writer
June 23, 2026
The Inter-American Development Bank in their recently published Trade Trends Estimates Latin America and The Caribbean (LAC). 2026 Edition: Q1 Update said that estimates indicate that exports have risen 15.7 percent year on year compared to Q1, 2025.
The report said: “The value of LAC goods exports is estimated to have risen by a remarkable 15.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026,1 following average growth of 7.8 percent in 2025. This doubling of the export growth rate was due to both expanding volumes and accelerating prices.
“In South America, exports increased in 2025 on the back of higher export volumes, a trend that continued in early 2026, in tandem with rising prices.
“Mexico’s export dynamics were similar, with growth accelerating from mid-2025 as shipment volumes increased, before gaining further momentum in early 2026.
“In Central America and the Caribbean, exports were more volatile, slowing in mid-2025 before rebounding between late 2025 and the early months of 2026.”
The increase reflects faster growth in both export volumes and prices. Regional export growth was driven primarily by mining products, particularly gold and copper, and strong performance in agribusiness products such as soybeans, coffee, and meat. Oil exports also contributed significantly.
“The region continues to strengthen its export performance and is demonstrating a growing capacity to adapt, even amid an uncertain, volatile global trade environment,” said Paolo Giordano, principal economist in the IDB’s Productivity, Trade, and Innovation Sector and coordinator of the report.
The report also said: “The outbreak of the war in Iran in March 2026 triggered a shock of historic proportions, abruptly altering the outlook for several markets, particularly energy markets.
The war-induced supply shock reversed the bearish trend in oil prices seen in 2025, while iron ore remained affected by weak demand from China.
Copper and, even more notably, gold continued to post exceptional price gains.
Among agricultural commodities, coffee prices reversed their upward trend in response to improvements in global supply. In contrast, soybean prices showed signs of a partial recovery after three consecutive years of decline, while sugar prices continued to trend downward.”
The region’s trade outlook remains positive despite a highly uncertain environment. Changes in global prices could place additional pressure on countries that import energy and food, while benefiting commodity exporters. However, higher fertilizer and transportation prices could impact production and marketing costs, creating both opportunities and risks for the region’s export performance in the coming months.
Total imports in Latin America and the Caribbean grew by an estimated 6.7 percent in 2025 and 9.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026. This acceleration was driven mainly by purchases from outside the region, while intraregional trade expanded more moderately.
Commodity prices followed divergent trends in 2026, reflecting growing fragmentation and shifts in global supply and demand.