Overview
- Local manufacturers and supplier groups warned that projects financed under the RIGI are buying the bulk of large inputs from abroad, citing Río Tinto’s Rincón lithium plan to source thousands of tonnes of metal structures from foreign suppliers.
- The metalworking chamber ADIMRA reported record external purchases of US$139.9 million and said about 90% of RIGI-related imports are metal products, a flow it estimated at roughly US$100 million per month.
- Small and medium suppliers told provincial officials that purchase orders are aggressive and often favor imports, and Governor Axel Kicillof criticized the RIGI for offering incentives with weak or no local-content requirements.
- The Economy Ministry has organized supplier rounds to connect local firms with project operators and opened a supplier registry, but many SMEs say the registry is impractical and doubt the events will force changes to purchasing decisions.
- Industry leaders warn that continued import dependence will limit the expected domestic ‘spillover’ from RIGI investments, reduce demand for local manufacturers and construction firms, and raise the risk of supplier closures during a weak industrial recovery.