More than 190 representatives of companies in the ProPymes Ternium value chain participated in a new edition of this traditional meeting moderated by Martín Berardi, Executive President of Ternium Argentina.
The economist and professor of the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Andrés Borenstein, and the journalist and head of the Political section of La Nación, Jorge Liotti, presented their views and analysis on Thursday, April 18, at the 39th ProPymes Breakfast, organized by Ternium to strengthen the value chain of the steel sector. At the Techint Training & Convention Center more than 190 returned to their respective companies with more information.
During the meeting, the Executive President of Ternium Argentina, Martín Berardi, gave his views on what is to come and some considerations on what to expect from the intricate global and local concert.
Andrés Borenstein and Sergio Liotti offered their points of view on the political and economic situation and contributed with their analysis to better understand the context in which we must articulate the activities with the whole value chain.
To close the event, Berardi made a detailed analysis of the situation of the sector and the country, highlighting the opportunities and risks in this complex context. He addressed the agenda for working together with the value chain, stressing the importance of both internal and external competitiveness. Internally, he focused on the efficiency of our industrial processes and the incorporation of technologies. In the institutional area, he emphasized the correct insertion in the world within the framework of the new geopolitics and the elimination of distorting taxes.
“The structural changes that are coming in Argentina force us to work even more articulated as a value chain”, he highlighted. “There are opportunities in the most dynamic sectors of the Argentine economy, such as mining, energy, agriculture, which require regulatory frameworks for investment to accelerate and traction in the recovery,” he added.
Expectations on the horizon
As the speakers agreed, Ramón Ramírez, CEO of the auto parts company Maxion Montich, expects an improvement in the medium term: “Undoubtedly, we are in a moment of recession and a significant drop in activity, but with the expectation that by the end of the year we can bounce back. We are betting on that and trying to keep all industrial plants and sources of employment waiting for that moment”.
Meanwhile, Rosana Negrini, president of Agrometal, a seeder factory located in Monte Maíz, assured that she returns to Córdoba with “optimism and tranquility”, and referred to the challenge for the sector to understand the complex global framework: “What Berardi talked about is the reflection of how we must work together. The problem for us is no longer Argentina, but the world, and not only China. That is why it is essential that we work organically and in coordination among all sectors and raise our voices when things go wrong. We are facing a paradigm shift and we need to prepare for it”.
Julio Cordero, managing partner of the auto parts company Esteban Cordero SRL, also referred to this union as a sector: “We must improve our manufacturing competitiveness and efficiency to wait for the macroeconomy to also make its adjustment, as we saw in the presentations of the specialists and Martín: the great challenge is to reduce the tax burden and the costs of the entire value chain to work in harmony. We see a more open future with very big challenges”.