Argentine polymer and synthetic rubber output fell 4.6% in December compared with the year-ago period, state statistics office Indec said Friday.
Production of the petrochemicals rose 0.6% in December compared with November, and was down 2.3% in all of 2013 compared with the year-ago period, 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 supplies for producers, leading them to reduce output.
Indec said chemical production fell 4.7% in December compared with the year-ago period and was up 11.5% compared with November. Output in all of 2013 was down 7.7% compared with the same period of 2012.
Output of urea and other chemicals for fertilizers dropped 5.7% in December compared with December 2012 and was up 2.5% compared with November. Production rose 4.6% in 2013 compared with 2012.
Production of industrial gases rose 14.6% in December year on year and went up 3.5% compared with November. In all of 2013, output rose 2.3% year on year.
Production of plastic goods by compounders, an indicator of demand for polymers, fell 4.7% in December compared with December 2012 and was down 0.8% compared with November. In all of 2013, output fell 2.5% compared with 2012.
Production of tires, a sign of demand for synthetic rubber and its polymer feedstock, fell 13.2% in December year on year and was down 21.2% compared with November. Output in all of 2013 was up 9.1% compared with 2012.
Leading petrochemical producers in the country include state-run YPF and units of LyondellBasell, Dow Chemical and Petrobras.
They used an average of 78% of installed capacity in December, down from 82% in December 2012 and 78.4% in November.
