The use of installed capacity in the industry registered the best January since 2015, standing at 62%, above the mark of 57.5% registered a year ago, reported this Wednesday the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC).
Furthermore, the observed level in the first month of the year it also exceeded that of the same period of 2021 (57.2%), of 2020 (56.1%); from 2019 (56.2%); of 2018 (61.6%); and from 2017 (60.6%). The agency does not have data from January 2016, since it was intervened, after the change of administration at that time. While the use of installed capacity in January 2015 had been 62.7%.
Compared to last December, when it stood at 63.8%, the index in the manufacturing sector registered a decrease of 1.8 points in January.
The sectoral blocks that presented levels of utilization of installed capacity higher than the general level were refining of petroleum (84.1%), basic metal industries (81.7%), paper and cardboard (76.4%), chemical substances and products (72.1%) and non-metallic mineral products (68.3%)specified the INDEC.
And the sectoral blocks that were located below the general level were food and beverage products (60.4%), publishing and printing (57.9%), tobacco products (55.7%), rubber and plastic products (52.2%), metal mechanics except automotive (45.3%), textile products (41.0%) and automotive industry (31.0%), added.
In January 2023, compared to the same month in 2022, the The main positive incidence was observed in the basic metal industries, which presented a level of utilization of installed capacity of 81.7%, higher than that registered in the same month of the previous year (65.3%), highlighted the agency.
According to data from the Argentine Chamber of Steel, crude steel production posted a year-on-year rise of 25.1% in the month.
For his part, the automotive industry showed a level of utilization of installed capacity of 31% in January, higher than the first month of the previous year (22.5%), which was linked to the largest number of units manufactured by automotive terminals.
Meanwhile, oil refining reflected a level of utilization of installed capacity of 84.1% in January, higher than that registered in the same month of the previous year (77.2%), based on the higher level of crude oil processing .
Indeed, according to data from the Industrial Manufacturing Production Index (IPI Manufacturing), gasoline and diesel production showed year-on-year increases of 11.8% and 8.5%, respectively, in January 2023.
Source: Ambito
