Overview

• Operations paused in Villa Constitución with a 72‑hour shutdown of the steelmaking area and a weeklong halt in laminates, including Train 1 through September 8, according to the local UOM.
• Hundreds of employees are being suspended under an agreement that pays 75% of wages through December, complemented by voluntary retirements.
• ArcelorMittal says stoppages will be adjusted to operational needs and could recur late each month through year‑end, with the possibility of extending to other plants.
• Company and union sources tie the cuts to a deep drop in domestic demand and rising steel imports, particularly from China, after a year of running at roughly half capacity.
• Output fell from about 1.2 million tonnes in 2023 to roughly 600,000 in 2024, and the workforce shrank from 1,230 to around 930, while the union estimates nearly 500 job losses since 2024.