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Has the US been checking it's quality? That's what we should be asking.

Ford would consider buying more Mexican-made steel for its factories in Hermosillo and Cuautitlan as long as it met the automaker's quality standards.

MEXICO CITY/RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Mexico is emerging as the preferred choice for investors in Latin American steel making as a landmark energy reform and exposure to a U.S. recovery help outshine regional rival Brazil, where the gloom of recession has taken hold.

While steel executives in Brazil, Latin Americas biggest economy, call ever more forcefully for market reforms, Mexico has pushed through a major energy overhaul and other reforms which are expected to lure billions of dollars in new investment.

Demand for steel, a building material used in everything from cars to pipelines to skyscrapers, is a bellwether for economic strength, especially in manufacturing.

Steel makers Altos Hornos de Mexico and Ternium are well placed to take advantage of better growth prospects in Mexico, while Gerdau SA is seen as the best Brazil bet, given its strong presence in the United States.