The situation is aggravated by a sharp contraction in consumption and a surge in bounced checks. According to a recent survey by the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA), alarming figures have emerged: 47.5% of industrialists admitted having problems with at least one of their main obligations (salaries, suppliers, taxes, or services). A total collapse was reported by 8.2% of entrepreneurs who face difficulties across all payment items. The top three areas of hardship were Taxes (29.3%) and Suppliers (26.7%). The collapse is evident in the lack of liquidity: in the last quarter, there was a 30-40% increase in rejected checks. The payment chain in the Argentine industrial sector is beginning to show serious cracks, with half of the companies reporting difficulties in meeting essential obligations. The president of the Confederation of SME Builders (CPC) warned that the chain "is starting to bend and become complicated". The problem is structural: even state payment terms have been extended, rising from the conventional 30-45 days to 60-90 days, which worsens the lack of working capital. The most prominent case is that of Bodega Norton, which accumulated over 40 bounced checks for a total of 618 million pesos.
