Argentina’s crude steel production declined by 21.3pc to 3.65mn mt in 2020, from 4.64mn mt in 2019, according to the Argentine Chamber of Steel.
The chamber cited lower demand in the first half of the year because of the COVID-19 pandemic for the drop in raw steel production volumes.
Hot-rolled coil output fell by 18.7pc to 3.46mn mt in 2020, against 4.26mn mt in the previous year, while cold-rolled coil production rose by 3.4pc to 1.19mn mt from 1.15mn mt during the same period.
Iron ore production declined by 19.6pc to 2.45mn mt in 2020 from 3.05mn mt in the prior year and steel consumption fell by 13.3pc 3.39mn mt from 3.91mn mt in the same timeframe.
Argentina’s steel exports dropped by 29pc to 658,800mt in 2020 from 928,200mt in the previous year and imports fell by 8.1pc to 570,800mt from 621,200mt, the Argentine Chamber of Steel’s data indicated.