WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) – The Inter-American Development Bank says the value of goods exported from Latin America and the Caribbean grew by 15.7 per cent “year-on-year” in the first quarter of 2026, building on 7.8 per cent growth in 2025.

According to the latest edition of the IDB report, ‘Trade Trends Estimates – Latin America and the Caribbean’, the increase reflects “faster growth in both export volumes and prices”.

The report says 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.

He said this export momentum creates “an opportunity to advance reforms that boost productivity and competitiveness, diversify participation in international markets, and strengthen resilience to external shocks”.

The report says regional trade outlook remains positive, “despite a highly uncertain environment”.

It says changes in global prices could place additional pressure on countries that import energy and food, while benefiting commodity exporters.

However, the report says higher fertiliser and transportation prices could impact production and marketing costs, “creating both opportunities and risks for the region’s export performance in the coming months.”

The report says total imports in Latin America and the Caribbean grew by an estimated 6.7 per cent in 2025 and 9.7 per cent “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,” the report says.

It says commodity prices followed divergent trends in 2026, “reflecting growing fragmentation and shifts in global supply and demand”.