Argentina's crude steel production increased in August thanks to the restart of operations at plants in Santa Fe.
Crude steel output rose by 6.8pc on the year to 370,300 metric tonnes (t), industry chamber Acero Argentino said.
Resumed operations in Santa Fe plants offset a 24-hour preventive shutdown at the Ramallo blast furnace driven by union-related tensions.
Primary iron production fell to 209,400t, down by 6.5pc from the prior year.
Argentinian mills increased flat cold-rolled production to 100,300t, up by 4.3pc from a year earlier.
Hot-rolled steel output fell by 5.8pc to 305,600t, driven by a plunge in long steel production because of weaker demand from construction and energy markets.
Declining demand from those markets also dragged rolled steel output to 305,600t in August, down by 5.8pc from a year earlier.
High interest rates have weighed on domestic steel demand, the chamber said. The rising borrowing costs cooled agricultural machinery production despite optimism over soil moisture and harvest prospects. The sector also faces import competition from China and Brazil.
The household appliances sector, another market for flat steel, has also faced pressure from foreign finished products and limited financing for end-users, Acero Argentino said.
