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Original article: «El problema de Argentina es que no hay ventas»: Industriales reclaman medidas de auxilio a Milei ante colapso del mercado

«The problem in Argentina today is that there are no sales», with this striking statement, the president of the Argentine Small and Medium Industries (IPA), Daniel Rosato, encapsulated the crisis facing the country’s manufacturing sector, as business leaders intensify their calls to the government of Javier Milei for a rescue plan to prevent the massive closure of factories.

The collapse of the domestic market has become the primary concern for a productive framework witnessing how the recession devours its billing and employment capacity month by month.

The Argentine economy has deepened a dual-speed dynamic that widens the production gap and raises alarms within the industrial fabric. While the far-right president’s government showcases the trade surplus as an achievement – sustained by the primarization and the benefits of the Major Investment Incentive Regime (RIGI) – small and medium enterprises have reported a scenario of collapse.

The macroeconomic statistics celebrated by the so-called «libertarian» clash with the realities of local factories, which are suffocated by a model that has excluded them from the long-term growth equation. This contrast reveals that the financial spillovers from large export enclaves do not reach the base of the manufacturing pyramid.

According to reports from Perfil, «despite the government’s decision to cut subsidies to productive sectors, such as construction and consumption, an increasing number of entrepreneurs are approaching the Treasury Palace to express the need for a rescue plan to reactivate purchases and avoid further deepening of employer and labor informality as a precursor to shutting down operations.»

The digital outlet noted that promises were made for the activation of «some mechanism» to encourage consumption, but no specific date was provided.

The IPA president warned that internal market «has been declining consistently for more than eight consecutive months», a contraction dragging down sectors that are intensive in job creation. «Almost all industries are seeing declines, some more than others,» the businessman warned, highlighting that the crisis primarily impacts the textile, metallurgical, capital goods manufacturing, and footwear sectors.

The drop in consumption has triggered a cascade of bankruptcies and a significant reduction in employment. To substantiate his warning, Rosato presented concrete figures: preventive bankruptcy filings grew by 130% in 2025 compared to 2023. This situation worsened in early 2026; records from the Superintendence of Labor Risks show an average decline exceeding 34,000 jobs per month. Faced with collapsing demand, certain companies sought temporary relief through imports, lured by the chance to purchase foreign currency at low costs, though that illusory strategy is showing signs of exhaustion.

From the SME sector, there is a perception that the government’s economic strategy is imbalanced, harming those who lack the financial strength to navigate this period. Rosato pointed out that internal costs measured in dollars are not easing, and accused the government of failing to support small and medium industry. Meanwhile, while Congress approved a “super RIGI” that guarantees massive profits for multinationals, the most vulnerable companies face lack of bank credit, an overwhelming tax burden, and significant competitive disadvantages, an imbalance that even the IMF has recognized, noted the cited media outlet.

In this context, entrepreneurs have pushed for an economic, labor, and fiscal emergency law, although the bill remains stalled in the Senate Budget Committee. Rosato harshly criticized the legislative paralysis and the official reluctance to unblock the initiative. This law proposes to, for one year, halt judicial executions and prevent layoffs, in addition to offering payment facilities and credit lines with reduced interest rates. Simultaneously, SMEs resist the government’s import opening policy and are demanding strict controls in light of the influx of foreign products arriving at dumping prices, far below local production costs.

Industry leaders maintain that productive recovery is tied to restoring workers’ incomes, which have been severely affected by devaluation and price hikes. Rosato emphasized that the purchasing power has fallen by 40% and explicitly requested the economic team to reimplement programs like «Ahora 12» to stimulate domestic consumption. The sector’s premise is clear: without state incentives to extend payment terms for buyers, sales will not rebound, and tax revenue will decline due to increasing informality. The breakdown in the value chain and the absence of government responses have led chambers to declare that immediate actions are needed to prevent the disappearance of thousands of SMEs in Argentina.

La entrada «The Issue in Argentina Is the Lack of Sales»: Industrialists Urge Milei for Emergency Measures Amid Market Collapse se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.