Together with the Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs) sector, the transport sector represents 5% of the entire portfolio managed by the private banks. On Tuesday the transport sector completed a day of unemployment, after abandoning negotiations with the government for an extension of the credit deferment for a period of six months.
Day: Jan 13, 2021
Smuggling causes losses of $120 million in three sectors
The smuggling of food products and alcoholic beverages from Argentina caused economic losses of $120 million in 2020 to three sectors: the wine, dairy and food industries.
Argentina asks Toyota to speed up the manufacture of lithium batteries in Jujuy
The Argentine government has asked the Japanese consortium Toyota Tsusho to speed up the manufacture of lithium batteries, which it extracts from the Olaroz salt flat in Jujuy province, where it is investing $295 million. The neighbouring country is the second-largest lithium producer in South America after Bolivia, which has the largest reserves of the mineral which, due to its high electrochemical potential, is a suitable anode for electric batteries.
Price of urea rises by 40%, and imports soar by 400%
More than a year after the urea and ammonia plant's shutdown, the country can no longer supply its demand. Producers are having difficulty finding the fertilizer and must pay up to 40% more. The country has gone from being an exporter to an importer of the fertilizer. Purchases rose by 400%, while sales fell by 94%.
Mining collapses and an estimated 40% of gold extracted is illegal
Falling international mineral prices and containment due to the coronavirus pandemic caused a sharp drop in mineral production and exports. As of November 2020, mineral export revenues fell by 31%. However, the illegal exploitation and commercialisation of gold represent another severe problem for the sector. In the absence of state control and monitoring, at least 40% of gold extracted is not officially reported and is traded via smuggling.
