The Argentine chamber of the steel industry, Acero Argentino (AA), reported the country’s crude steel production in January has reached 299,700 mt against 256,300 mt in December 2024.
On a comparative basis, the production of HRC increased by 14.6 percent to 165,700 mt, the production of CRC increased by 26.1 percent to 113,300 mt, and the production of long products increased by 45.6 percent to 120,800 mt.
When compared to January 2024, the numbers show crude steel production declining by 26.5 percent, HRC production increasing by 11.5 percent, CRC production increasing by 54.8 percent, and long products production declining by 22.3 percent.
According to AA, in the country’s civil construction sector, one of the main consumers of steel products, the performance increased in January by 9 percent from December and by 8 percent from January 2024, as measured by the volume of cement acquired by the sector.
In the automotive sector, the production in January declined by 22 percent from December, but increased by 33 percent from January 2024.
The machinery and agriculture equipment sector continues to face uncertainties derived from the volatility of international prices of cereals, although now with more optimism, due to recent rains that have reached the agriculture areas after a dry season.
For the total of 2025, AA has expectations for a steel demand higher than in 2024, partly due to the gradual recovery of the country’s economic activity, and due to the recovery of inventories of steel products which have faced a strong decline along 2024.