Latin America and Caribbean exports surge 15.7% in early 2026, IDB reports
Key Points(5)
- The value of goods exported from Latin America and the Caribbean rose by 15.7 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), extending a period of strong trade performance across the region.
- The latest edition of the IDB report, Trade Trends Estimates – Latin America and the Caribbean , shows that the increase builds on export growth of 7.8 per cent recorded in 2025.
- The bank attributed the latest surge to “faster growth in both export volumes and prices”.
- According to the report, export growth was led primarily by mining products, with gold and copper performing strongly.
- Agribusiness also posted solid gains, driven by higher shipments of soybeans, coffee and meat, while oil exports added further momentum.
The value of goods exported from Latin America and the Caribbean rose by 15.7 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), extending a period of strong trade performance across the region.
The latest edition of the IDB report, Trade Trends Estimates – Latin America and the Caribbean, shows that the increase builds on export growth of 7.8 per cent recorded in 2025. The bank attributed the latest surge to “faster growth in both export volumes and prices”.
According to the report, export growth was led primarily by mining products, with gold and copper performing strongly. Agribusiness also posted solid gains, driven by higher shipments of soybeans, coffee and meat, while oil exports added further momentum.
“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.
He added that the current export momentum presents an opportunity for countries to pursue reforms aimed at boosting productivity and competitiveness, diversifying participation in global markets, and improving resilience to external shocks.
The report noted that the regional trade outlook remains positive despite ongoing global uncertainty. However, it warned that fluctuations in global prices could increase pressure on energy and food-importing countries, while benefiting commodity exporters.
It also flagged rising fertiliser and transportation costs as potential constraints on production and marketing, describing the situation as one that presents “both opportunities and risks for the region’s export performance in the coming months.”
On imports, the IDB estimated that total purchases in the region grew by 6.7 per cent in 2025, followed by a sharper 9.7 per cent year-on-year increase in the first quarter of 2026. This acceleration was largely driven by imports from outside the region, while intraregional trade expanded at a slower pace.
The report further highlighted divergent commodity price trends in 2026, pointing to “growing fragmentation and shifts in global supply and demand” as key factors shaping trade dynamics.
