Acero Argentino (AA), the Argentine chamber of the steel industry, reported that the country's crude steel production totaled 272,200 metric tons (mt) in February, against 351,400 mt in January, a decline of nearly 23 percent.
AA said local steel demand remains weak, and the increasing pressure from imports in a tax environment that discourages local value-added production, along with unfair competition from China, continues to have a significant impact on Argentina’s steel industry.
In a statement, AA said “Argentina continues to make progress in a macroeconomic stabilization process, an essential condition for recovering sustained economic growth.” AA added that Argentina’s steel sector continues to operate at levels of activity that remain below its historical potential.
On a similar month-to-month comparative basis, AA said the production of HRC slumped by 60.6 percent to 59,800 mt, CRC production dropped by 52.3 percent to 49,300 mt, while the production of long products slipped by 28.9 percent to 88,600 mt.
When compared with February 2025, the AA data shows crude steel production down by 14 percent, HRC production rose by 27.3 percent, CRC production increased by 6.4 percent, while long products production declined 22.8 percent.
In an evaluation of the most important steel demand sectors of the economy, AA mentioned that civil construction activity declined 11.6 percent, while the automotive sector -despite increasing by 41.1 percent from January- declined by 30.1 percent from February 2025 levels.
In its view, the agriculture machinery sector is showing increased growth, thanks to the potential for a good harvest this year, AA said.
For their turn, activities related to household consumption, such as domestic appliances, remain in a “critical situation,” with a strong decline in sales noted, production in excess of demand, and continued pressure from imports.
Conversely, the energy sector is showing positive results, AA said, with operational performance of the Vaca Muerta shale oil reserves soaring 30 percent in the January-February period of 2026, when compared with the same period in 2025. New projects related to shale gas are expected to increase steel demand, although pressure from imports could reduce the domestic steel supply, they said.