Latin America Metal Cans Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)

The Latin American metal cans market is projected to be registering a CAGR of 2.13% during the forecast period 2021-2026. The food and beverage industry, with a major share in the metal can packaging market, is witnessing huge demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as the industry falls under the essential commodity. The lockdown enforced across the region due to the COVID-19 pandemic has bought a significant change in human consumption habits. There has been an increasing demand for packaged food products, meat, vegetables, and fruits, among others.

Key Highlights

• Of all the different kinds of metal packages, such as cans, drums, bottles, caps, and closures, cans have been the most popular. Ease of use and availability aided in the adoption of metal cans in several packaging applications over the last century. ​
• Additionally, consumer trends, such as a preference for small-size and multi-pack packaging formats, are supporting the volume growth of the metal cans market in the studied market. ​
• An increasing demand for mini-cans has been observed, especially in the Latin American markets, such as Brazil and Mexico. Therefore, most beverage companies in the region are offering mini-cans, which generally contain smaller volumes of products and cost less than the traditional canned products.​
• This trend is resulting in more substantial unit consumption. Furthermore, with the increasing environmental concerns, consumers are demanding metal cans, owing to their low environmental impact. The high recyclability of metal cans is one of the significant drivers for the market studied in some regions, while in other regions, economic conditions and low price of canned goods remain key drivers for the market studied.​
• Also, with the growing middle-income group population, changing lifestyle, and evolving consumer preferences, the consumption rates among the Latin American countries are also rising steadily. According to the World Bank, the gross national income per capita in the Latin American region accounted for USD 8775.3.

Key Market Trends

Aluminum Cans to Hold Major Market Share

• Aluminum is one of the most popular metals for can packaging solutions. Traits, such as the provision of metal canvas for ad printing, fast cooling, protection of flavors of beverages, 100% recyclability, and inertness to chemicals and several ingredients in the food and beverage products, make it the most preferred choice for beverage cans.
• Aluminum cans are the most preferred type of packaging for soda, brew beers, and energy drinks, owing to their sustainability and recycling properties. In the last decade alone, there has been a significant reduction in the weight of aluminum cans used for several packaging purposes.
• This has pushed most of the manufacturers of metal cans to shift from steel to aluminum cans. A considerable reduction in freight weight, resulting in low transportation costs and reduced carbon emission, is encouraging the use of aluminum cans.
• Increasing environmental policies and growing focus on recycling are augmenting the need for the material, while the focus of companies on improving the eco-friendly brand image is further expanding the growth of the aluminum segment of the market studied. Considerable advancements in manufacturing techniques and changing consumer needs are expected to open new opportunities to the aluminum segment of the market studied during the forecast period. According to ABAL, the Brazilian Aluminum Association, and ABRALATAS, the Brazilian Association of Can Manufacturers, the 2019 Brazilian beverage can recycling rate was 97.6%
• Aluminum cans offer the advantages of recyclability and ease of printing. Additionally, they are lightweight and act as excellent barriers to gases. Such factors allow a higher penetration of aluminum variants in the beverages industry compared to other metal cans. Over the forecast period, sustained demand from the non-alcoholic beverage sector is expected to drive the growth of the aluminum cans market.

Canned Food and Beverages to Drive the Market

• Packaged and convenience food has become a staple food for many consumers, owing to their hectic lifestyles and work schedules. Therefore, large organized retailers have started to stack huge amounts of canned food and beverages. Nowadays, offline and online retailers stock a wide range of brands of packaged food items in their stores.
• Aggressive marketing strategies of beverage companies toward the usage of metal cans have also had an impact on the studied market. As canned beverages are being considered trendy among the youth, and ready-to-eat or semi-processed canned foods are considered convenient and economical among several global users, the penetration of canned products is increasing rapidly.
• The rising demand for energy drinks and canned cold coffee in Latin America is also expected to boost the market growth. Hence, the food and beverage industry in Latin America is expected to offer opportunities for the market studied. For instance, according to the Brazilian Food Industry Association (ABIA), the food and beverage industry is the most significant sector of Brazilian manufacturing, accounting for more than a quarter of its value-added and about 3.2% of the country’s GDP in 2019. Additionally, according to ABIA, the net revenue of the food and beverage industry reached BRL 699.9 billion in 2019.
• High consumption of canned beverages in numerous sports tournaments, including CONCACAF Champions League, Copa Libertadores, and Big League World Series, among others, owing to the growing convenience in handling the food items, is expected to boost the demand in the market studied over the forecast period.
• In the Latin American market, Brazil contributes to the growth of metal cans through the presence of 889 registered breweries, with the country producing 16,968 products. Further, the increasing growth in the beverage industry also contributes to the studied market’s growth. According to Associação Brasileira das Indústrias da Alimentação, the net revenue of the beverage industry in Brazil accounted for BZR 137 million in 2019 from BZR 56 billion.

Competitive Landscape

The Latin America Metal Cans Market is moderately fragmented with few companies having dominant marlet share and few new entrants in the market. The companies keep on innovating and entering into strategic partnerships in order to retain their market share.

• August 2020 - Ball Corporation completed the acquisition of Tubex Industria E Comercio de Embalagens Ltda, an impact extruded aluminum aerosol packaging business that includes a manufacturing plant in Itupeva, Brazil. The Itupeva plant includes eight extruded aluminum aerosol can lines and produces personal care packaging for global and local customers in Brazil.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support