Argentine polymer and synthetic rubber output rose 4.3% in January compared with the year-earlier period, state statistics office Indec said Friday.
Production of these petrochemicals fell 5.4% in January compared with December, Indec said in a report that did not give raw data or reasons for the changes.
Analysts say that falling domestic production of oil and natural gas has reduced feedstock supplies for producers, leading them to reduce output of some products.
Indeed, Indec said chemical production fell 5% in January compared with the year-earlier period and was down 6.9% compared with December.
Output of urea and other chemicals for fertilizers dropped 17.8% in January compared with January 2013 and was down 18.5% compared with December.
Production of industrial gases rose 15.4% in January on the year and dropped 6.7% compared with December.
Production of plastic goods by compounders, an indicator of demand for polymers, fell 7.9% in January compared with January 2013 and was down 4.9% compared with December.
Output of tires, a sign of demand for synthetic rubber and its polymer feedstock, rose 3.2% in January on the year and went up 15.6% compared with December.
Leading petrochemical producers in the country include state-run YPF and units of LyondellBasell, Dow Chemical and Petrobras.
They used an average of 71.6% of installed capacity in January, down from 78% in January 2013 and 78% in December.
