Battery manufacturers say they could stop production in 30 days

Car battery manufacturers asked the Central Bank President, Miguel Pesce, which “assesses or moderates” the dollar restriction on the import of supplies for this sector. Otherwise, they said, “in the next 30 days, several manufacturers will be forced to suspend staff for lack of supplies“.

The warning was through a note from the Chamber of Manufacturers of Electric Accumulators (Cafae), addressed to Pesce on Thursday. This sector deals directly 4,000 people and its activity indirectly involves something else 5,300 peoplebetween suppliers and services.

“We haven’t had an answer so far,” said the head of the chamber, Yamil Jalit Clarione. “We know that the Central Bank has received the note, a copy of which has also been sent to the Minister of Productive Development, Daniele Scioli. We are waiting to be called“.

The Chamber said they cannot obtain production supplies, “because the 180-day payment terms mean that the overseas supplier not be willing to take a long-term loan. “

Jalit explained this with the case of his own factory, located in the city of Santa Fe Sa Pereira. “To me with these conditions They don’t even mention the goods to me. I was paying 100% against orderor with some suppliers that he had managed to pay for 70% against the order and the remaining 30% upon disembarkation of the goods at the port“.

What are the supplies? Mainly, dividers, which are polyethylene coils that are used to separate the negative from the positive inside the battery. and some too additives for the dish. “They are products that they are not made in the countryKhalit pointed out.

The restrictions have been in place since March, when the Central Bank began requiring manufacturers to finance imports of supplies and parts for 180 days. This restriction ended up being generalized at the end of June.

The Cafae brings together the battery factories both for the supply of automotive terminals (“original equipment”, in jargon) and for the spare parts market. Part of the batteries produced in the country are then exported.

According to the house numbers, import substitution is equivalent to $ 50 million annuallyagainst a demand for dollars from which to import supplies $ 9 million.

“The member companies have a production capacity to satisfy all the needs of the internal market, but not being able to count on production inputs, spare parts, molds and capital goods, they are unable to respect the normal production process”, states the note. .

And he adds: “Unfortunately in the next 30 days several manufacturers will deem it necessary to suspend staff due to lack of supplies. This could affect more than 4,000 direct workers and around 5,300 indirect workers from local suppliers in different areas “.

Last week a car terminal of Brazilian origin, agral, confirmed that it had stopped all its orders because it did not have the necessary supplies to continue producing at its factory in the city of Mercedes in Buenos Aires. Days later they were received by Pesce and a negotiation began authorize some orders.

In the case of battery manufacturers this could lead to a possible interruption of their production an additional effect on automotive terminalsof which many local plants are suppliers.