The production of steel crude reached in February Lastly, 359,400 tons, which represented an increase of 12.7% compared to the same month of 2022.
In turn, the comparison with January marked a reduction of 18.8% due to technical stops, according to a report published by the Argentine Chamber of Steel.
For their part, rolled products had a decrease of 12.1% (341,800 vs. 388,800 tons) compared to January and 3.6% year-on-year.
Primary iron production in February 2023 was 315,500 tons, resulting 4.1% lower than that of January 2023 (328,800 tons) and 21.5% higher than that of February 2022 (259,600 tons).
Meanwhile, the production of cold rolled flats in February 2023 was 84,400 tons, resulting 22.5% lower than that of January 2023 (108,900 tons) and 11.6% lower than that of February 2022 (95,500 tons). ).
According to the survey, This setback was the product of technical stops for preventive maintenance of equipment that occurred in plants in the sector.
In this sense, the Argentine Chamber of Steel warned that “The drought, which is currently affecting crops, is expected to have an impact not only on the demand for agricultural machinery and implements, but also on the entire industrial value chain and steel production.”
“Although it continued with good shipments during January 2023, the construction sector began to show signs of weakening during February, with a 6.8% drop in cement shipments,” the entity analyzed.
The automotive sector had a “strong increase” during February, with production that climbed 70.3% compared to January, and an accumulated growth of 22.9% year-on-year.
The steel chamber highlighted that “manufacturers of agricultural machinery and implements continue to meet commitments made until this first quarter of 2023, but there is uncertainty about the evolution of new operations due to the drought.”
Lastly – the report adds – “the energy sector remains firm and has good prospects for the future, while in the mass consumption market, shipments to household appliance manufacturers show signs of deceleration.”
Source: Ambito
