Argentinian polymer and synthetic rubber output rose 3.4% in February compared with the year-earlier period, the state statistics office Indec said Friday.
Production of these petrochemicals fell 2% in February compared with January, Indec said in a report that did not give raw data or reasons for the changes.
Analysts said falling domestic production of oil and natural gas has reduced feedstock for petrochemical producers, leading them to reduce output of some products. A slowing economy also is depressing demand, they said.
Indec said chemical production fell 10.7% in February compared with the year-earlier period and was down 3.2% compared with January.
Output of urea and other chemicals for fertilizers dropped 19.3% in February compared with the year-earlier period and was down 4.5% compared with January.
Production of industrial gases rose 9.7% in February compared with the year-earlier period and dropped 10.7% compared with January.
Production of plastic goods by compounders, an indicator of demand for polymers, fell 5.4% in February compared with the year-earlier period and was down 3.5% compared with January.
Output of tires, a sign of demand for synthetic rubber and its polymer feedstock, fell 29.3% in February compared with the year-earlier period and plunged 43.7% compared with January.
Leading petrochemical producers in the country include state-run YPF and units of LyondellBasell, Dow Chemical and Petrobras.
They used an average of 77.8% of installed capacity in February, down from 84.3% in February 2013 and up from 71.6% in January.
