The president of the Argentine Chamber of Steel, Martín Berardi, expressed his opinions during the closing of the Latin American Steel Congress held at the Hilton Hotel in Buenos Aires. Berardi criticized the government measure of exporting scrap, considering it a crucial input for the sector. He explained that Argentina is largely dependent on the import of iron, so prioritizing the use of local scrap makes it a critical input that reduces foreign purchases and carbon dioxide emissions.
The representative of the industrialists highlighted the importance of recycling in the global steel industry, emphasizing its positive environmental impact. He underlined the need for an intelligent integration in a context of transitioning from a closed economy to total openness, considering local economies and international trade flows. Berardi mentioned the example of Mexico, which has applied additional tariffs on countries without free trade agreements to protect its national production.
Alongside Ezequiel Tavernelli, executive director of ALAcero 2024, Berardi emphasized that steel is a product with high added value in the economy, generating quality jobs in the producing nations. He warned about the risk of the re-primarization of Latin American economies due to the increasing export of steel by China, which could negatively affect job creation in the region.
Berardi mentioned that steel production in Argentina has experienced monthly growth since July, but estimated that the levels of 2023 will not be reached until next year. He highlighted the need to implement additional tariff measures to prevent the import of Chinese steel, similar to what has been done by Europe, Brazil, and Colombia. He emphasized that an increase in steel imports from China could generate greater primarization of the Latin American economy.
