The Industrial Performance Index (MDI) of the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) stood at 36.5 points in January 2026, well below the 50-point expansion threshold. The indicator accumulated its fifteenth consecutive survey in contraction territory, registering a 7.5 percentage point drop from the previous quarter and a 5.6 pp year-over-year decline. The survey, conducted between February 2-16, 2026, with the participation of 644 companies from various activities, regions, and sizes, showed that 53.3% of them reported a decrease in their production level compared to the average of the fourth quarter of 2025, while only 13% reported increases. The situation for domestic sales was even more unfavorable: 54.7% of firms reported decreases, the third highest value in the entire series, compared to only 13.3% that registered increases. In the labor market, 22.2% of companies reduced their workforce in January. The lowest values were recorded in Textiles (23.1 points), Paper and Wood (30.1), and Garments, leather and footwear (30.2). The sectors with the best relative performance were Metalworking (40.9), Food, Beverages and Tobacco (40.6), and Chemicals and Petrochemicals (40.3), although all remain in contraction territory. Nearly half of the companies (45.6%) reported delays in meeting at least one of the following commitments: salaries, suppliers, financial commitments, public services, and taxes. The greatest difficulties were concentrated in tax payments (33.2%) and suppliers (31.9%).
