The Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) issued a statement expressing concern over the manufacturing sector's situation, highlighting the complexity of the current economic model. In the 'QR!' program on Canal E, experts like Guido Bambini and Pablo Caruso analyzed the document, pointing to declines in production, employment, and installed capacity. According to United Nations data, Argentina recorded the second-largest industrial drop worldwide between 2023 and 2025.
The Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) released a statement titled “Without industry there is no Nation,” a phrase attributed to Carlos Pellegrini, expressing concern over the situation of various industrial sectors and provinces. The document acknowledges advances in fiscal balance, inflation reduction, and structural reforms by the government, but warns of a non-homogeneous transition for SMEs, with low activity levels, fiscal pressure, financing difficulties, and job losses.
In the 'QR!' program on Canal E, aired on March 4 and 5, 2026, the statement was analyzed. Economist Guido Bambini questioned the current model, stating: “The current model is very complex for the industry.” He highlighted that the industry accounts for 17% of GDP, over 20% of tax revenue, and generates 1,200,000 direct jobs. However, he noted that the UIA disclaims responsibility for previous distortions.
Data presented show current industrial installed capacity at 58%, with a low of 55% in the early months of Javier Milei's government, 14 points below the average during the Macri era. Between 2019 and 2023, 1,697 manufacturing firms were created and 121,630 jobs added, but from November 2023 to the end of 2025, 2,436 industrial companies were destroyed and nearly 73,000 registered positions lost.
A United Nations report indicates Argentina had the second-largest industrial decline between 2023 and 2025, at 7.9%, behind only Hungary, while regional countries like Brazil (+3.5%), Chile (+5.2%), Peru (+6.5%), and Uruguay (+3.7%) grew. Bambini attributed this to import opening and a fixed exchange rate.
Examples include Peabody filing for creditors' contest, La Suipachense bankrupt after 70 years, Electrolux reducing from 700 to 200 employees, and the closure of the San Roque frigorífico in Morón, affecting 140 workers. In total, these cases impact around 1,000 employees.
Pablo Caruso, the program's host, criticized the UIA's previous silence and spoke of the “Francella syndrome,” ironically noting its late positioning. He pointed to contradictions in the statement, which praises macroeconomics but describes a micro crisis, and questioned the representation by UIA head Martín Rappallini amid tensions with incentives like RIGI.
