FX.co ★ Argentina Industrial Output Increases for 4th Straight Month

In March 2025, Argentina's industrial production saw a notable 5.2% increase compared to the previous year, reflecting the fourth consecutive month of growth after enduring an 18-month period of contraction. However, this growth marked a slight deceleration from February's 5.6% rise. The primary factor contributing to this slowdown was a sharper decline in sectors such as oil refining, coke, and nuclear fuel, which fell by 7.0%, compared to a 3.1% drop in February. Additionally, output growth decelerated in sectors including equipment, devices, and instruments, which grew by 19.3% down from 37.2%, as well as in food and beverages (5.4% compared to 9.9%) and manufacturing (32.9% versus 35.6%). On a more positive note, there was an increase in production for machinery and equipment (12.8% compared to 11.1%) and a notable rise in the wood, paper, publishing, and printing sectors (3.4% up from 0.9%). Particularly, the basic metals sector experienced a strong rebound, growing by 16.6% after an 8.6% decline. Nevertheless, on a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, industrial production suffered a decline of 4.5%, reversing a 0.5% increase recorded in the previous month.