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UIA Conference: Industry Leaders Demand Policy Beyond Energy and Mining

The conference ended without new industrial-policy commitments from the government.

Overview

  • Executives said they will keep backing President Javier Milei’s program “until the task is completed,” yet warned a resources-first strategy will not deliver broad-based growth.
  • Minister Luis Caputo devoted his remarks to the dollar and reserves and announced no measures for manufacturing, with labor and tax changes signaled as less ambitious than first touted.
  • UIA leaders urged active sectoral policies and tax reform, noting that taxes make up roughly 46% of industrial costs and that promotion capacity has been weakened by the closure of SME and Industry secretariats this year.
  • Martín Rappallini said energy and mining will generate dollars in the near term, while Paolo Rocca argued Argentina needs a stronger industrial base, citing low exports per capita compared with China, Canada and Australia.
  • European Commission vice president Stéphane Séjourné warned about Chinese overcapacity and pointed to EU protections such as steel import limits, a stance industrialists referenced in calling for selective defenses.