Argentina's crude steel output falls

Argentina's Steel Industry Chamber (CIS) has disclosed that the country's crude steel production fell 18.5 percent year on year to around 335,000 metric tons in January. In addition, steel production in January was 13.1 percent lower than the December 2006 figure. Hot rolled steel output decreased 22 percent year on year to 306,000 metric tons in January, while cold rolled steel output rose 16.3 percent to 138,000 metric tons.