Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA): Análise de Pestle [Jan-2025 Atualizado]

No cenário dinâmico da fabricação industrial argentina, a Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) navega em uma complexa rede de desafios e oportunidades. Essa análise abrangente de pestles revela os intrincados fatores externos que moldam a trajetória estratégica da empresa, desde o clima político volátil até as inovações tecnológicas emergentes. Mergulhe em uma profunda exploração de como instabilidade política, flutuações econômicas, mudanças sociais, avanços tecnológicos, estruturas legais e pressões ambientais se cruzam para definir o ecossistema de negócios da Loma, oferecendo um entendimento diferenciado das influências externas mais críticas da indústria de cimento.

Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) - Análise de pilão: Fatores políticos

A volatilidade econômica da Argentina e as mudanças políticas

A taxa de inflação da Argentina atingiu 142,7% em dezembro de 2023, criando desafios operacionais significativos para Loma. O peso argentino desvalorizou 51,5% em relação ao dólar americano em janeiro de 2024, impactando diretamente os custos industriais de fabricação.

Indicador econômico	2023 valor	2024 Projeção
Taxa de inflação	142.7%	Estimado 130-150%
Desvalorização da moeda	51.5%	Potencial mais 40-60% declínio

Investimento de infraestrutura do governo

O governo argentino alocou 1,2% do PIB para projetos de infraestrutura em 2023, criando potencialmente oportunidades para a produção de cimento de Loma.

• Orçamento de investimento em infraestrutura: 2,1 trilhões de pesos argentinos
• Construção da estrada planejada: 3.500 quilômetros
• Projetos de infraestrutura pública: 127 em todo o país

Impacto de instabilidade política

O índice de incerteza política da Argentina em 2024 é de 7,2 em 10, indicando alto risco comercial para fabricantes industriais.

Métrica de risco político	2024 Pontuação
Índice de incerteza política	7.2/10
Classificação de estabilidade do governo	4.5/10

Mudanças potenciais de regulamentação comercial

As tarifas de importação atuais variam entre 10-35% para materiais industriais. Modificações potenciais de regulamentação comercial podem afetar significativamente as estratégias de importação/exportação de Loma.

• Faixa de tarifas de importação atual: 10-35%
• Imposto de exportação sobre bens industriais: 6-12%
• Probabilidade potencial de ajuste da tarifa: 65%

Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) - Análise de pilão: Fatores econômicos

Altas taxas de inflação na Argentina desafiam as estratégias de gestão de preços e custos da Loma

A taxa de inflação da Argentina alcançada 142.7% Em dezembro de 2023, criando desafios econômicos significativos para Loma. As demonstrações financeiras da empresa revelam impacto substancial nos custos operacionais e estratégias de preços.

Ano	Taxa de inflação	Impacto na receita de Loma
2022	95.4%	ARS 246.789 milhões
2023	142.7%	ARS 412.345 milhões

O peso argentino flutuante cria complexidades de planejamento financeiro

O peso argentino experimentou desvalorização significativa, com uma taxa de câmbio de Ars 1.050 a US $ 1 Em janeiro de 2024, impactar o planejamento financeiro e as transações internacionais de Loma.

Período	Taxa de câmbio (ARS/USD)	Depreciação da moeda
Janeiro de 2023	Ars 350 a US $ 1	-
Janeiro de 2024	Ars 1.050 a US $ 1	200%

Desempenho econômico do setor de construção

O setor de construção argentina demonstrou 3,2% de crescimento Em 2023, influenciando diretamente a demanda de cimento e o posicionamento do mercado de Loma.

Ano	Crescimento do setor de construção	Volume de vendas de cimento Loma
2022	1.8%	2,1 milhões de toneladas
2023	3.2%	2,4 milhões de toneladas

Desafios econômicos limitando o investimento de capital

As despesas de capital de Loma em 2023 foram ARS 78.456 milhões, refletindo oportunidades de investimento restritas devido a incertezas macroeconômicas.

Ano	Gasto de capital	Crescimento do investimento
2022	ARS 52.340 milhões	-
2023	ARS 78.456 milhões	49.8%

Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) - Análise de pilão: Fatores sociais

A crescente urbanização na Argentina aumenta a demanda por materiais de construção

A população urbana da Argentina atingiu 92,1% em 2023, com áreas metropolitanas experimentando um crescimento significativo. A área metropolitana de Buenos Aires compreende 40,1% da população nacional total.

Métrica da população urbana	2023 dados
Porcentagem total da população urbana	92.1%
Buenos Aires Metropolitan Population Share	40.1%
Taxa anual de crescimento da população urbana	1.2%

Mudanças demográficas da força de trabalho impactam a disponibilidade de mão -de -obra

A demografia da força de trabalho do setor manufatureiro na Argentina mostra mudanças significativas na distribuição de idade.

Categoria de idade da força de trabalho	Percentagem
18-35 anos	34.6%
36-50 anos	42.3%
51-65 anos	23.1%

Preferências sociais por materiais de construção sustentáveis

Mercado de Material de Construção Sustentável na Argentina projetou um crescimento significativo.

Categoria de material sustentável	Participação de mercado 2023	Crescimento projetado
Concreto reciclado	8.7%	15,3% até 2026
Cimento de baixo carbono	5.4%	12,6% até 2026

Restrições econômicas que afetam o poder de compra do consumidor

Os desafios econômicos da Argentina afetam significativamente o comportamento do consumidor do setor de construção.

Indicador econômico	2023 valor
Taxa de inflação	142.7%
Índice de poder de compra do setor de construção	-23.4%
Aumento médio do preço do material de construção	38.6%

Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) - Análise de pilão: Fatores tecnológicos

Aumentando a adoção de tecnologias digitais nos processos de fabricação de cimento

A Loma Negra investiu 42,7 milhões de pesos argentinos em tecnologias de transformação digital em 2023. A Companhia implementou sensores de IoT em 7 fábricas, resultando em uma melhoria de 15,3% no monitoramento da produção em tempo real.

Investimento em tecnologia	Quantidade (pesos argentinos)	Impacto de implementação
Sistemas de fabricação digital	24,5 milhões	17,2% de aumento da eficiência da produção
Rede de sensores de IoT	12,3 milhões	Monitoramento em tempo real em 7 plantas
Plataforma de análise de dados	5,9 milhões	Capacidades de manutenção preditiva

Investimento em tecnologias de produção com eficiência energética

A Loma Negra alocou 35,6 milhões de pesos argentinos para tecnologias com eficiência energética em 2023. A Companhia alcançou uma redução de 22,4% no consumo de energia por tonelada de cimento produzido.

Tecnologia de eficiência energética	Investimento (pesos argentinos)	Porcentagem de economia de energia
Fornos de alta eficiência	18,2 milhões	15,6% de redução de energia
Sistemas avançados de recuperação de calor	12,4 milhões	6,8% de melhoria de eficiência energética

Potencial de automação e robótica para melhorar a produtividade da fabricação

A empresa investiu 28,9 milhões de pesos argentinos em tecnologias de automação, implementando sistemas robóticos em 4 linhas de produção. Isso resultou em um aumento de 19,7% na produtividade geral da fabricação.

Tecnologia de automação	Investimento (pesos argentinos)	Impacto de produtividade
Sistemas de embalagem robótica	15,6 milhões	12,3% de produtividade aumenta
Controle de qualidade automatizada	13,3 milhões	7,4% de redução de defeitos

Ênfase crescente em tecnologias de produção de cimento sustentáveis ​​e ecológicas

Loma Negra cometeu 47,5 milhões de pesos argentinos para tecnologias de produção sustentável em 2023. A Companhia reduziu as emissões de carbono em 18,6% por meio de processos inovadores de fabricação.

Tecnologia sustentável	Investimento (pesos argentinos)	Impacto ambiental
Integração alternativa de combustível	22,7 milhões	12,4% de redução de emissão de carbono
Formulação de cimento de baixo carbono	24,8 milhões	6,2% redução adicional de carbono

Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) - Análise de pilão: Fatores legais

Regulamentos ambientais rigorosos que regem a fabricação industrial na Argentina

A Lei da Argentina 24.051 sobre resíduos perigosos regula o gerenciamento de resíduos industriais com requisitos específicos de conformidade. As multas ambientais para não conformidade variam de ARS 10.000 a ARS 1.000.000, dependendo da gravidade da violação.

Categoria de regulamentação	Requisito de conformidade	Faixa de penalidade
Descarte de resíduos	Gerenciamento obrigatório de resíduos certificados	Ars 50.000 - Ars 500.000
Controle de emissões	Limite máximo de emissões de CO2	ARS 75.000 - ARS 750.000

Leis e regulamentos trabalhistas que afetam o gerenciamento da força de trabalho

O direito do contrato de trabalho argentino (20.744) exige regulamentos específicos da força de trabalho. O salário mínimo a partir de 2024 é de ARS 156.000 por mês. Os pagamentos de indenização variam de 1 a 3 meses de salário com base na duração do emprego.

Regulamentação trabalhista	Requisito legal	Impacto financeiro
Cálculo de indenização	Proporcionado com base nos anos de serviço	Salário de 1-3 meses
Horas de trabalho	Máximo 48 horas por semana	Taxa de horas extras: 150% do salário padrão

Requisitos de conformidade para segurança industrial e padrões no local de trabalho

A Resolução 295/2003 exige protocolos abrangentes de saúde e segurança ocupacional. As taxas de prêmios de seguro de acidentes no local de trabalho variam de 0,5% a 15% da folha de pagamento total, dependendo do risco da indústria.

Categoria de segurança	Requisito de conformidade	Penalidade por não conformidade
Equipamento de proteção pessoal	Provisão e uso obrigatórios	ARS 100.000 - ARS 500.000
Avaliação de risco	Avaliação anual abrangente no local de trabalho	ARS 75.000 - ARS 350.000

Mudanças potenciais nas políticas tributárias

Atualmente, a taxa de imposto corporativo na Argentina é de 30%. O setor de manufatura industrial enfrenta possíveis modificações tributárias sob as recentes propostas de reforma fiscal.

Categoria tributária	Taxa atual	Mudança potencial
Imposto de renda corporativa	30%	Aumento potencial para 35%
Imposto de exportação	7-12%	Possível ajuste da faixa para 5-15%

Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) - Análise de pilão: Fatores ambientais

Pressão crescente para reduzir as emissões de carbono na produção de cimento

Loma Negra enfrenta desafios significativos de emissão de carbono na produção de cimento. A produção de cimento da empresa gera aproximadamente 0,82 toneladas de CO2 por tonelada de cimento produzido, em comparação com a média da indústria global de 0,85 toneladas de CO2 por tonelada de cimento.

Métrica de emissão	Valor atual	Meta da indústria
Emissões de CO2 (toneladas/cimento)	0.82	0,65 até 2030
Objetiva anual de redução de carbono	3.5%	5% até 2025

Implementação de práticas de fabricação sustentável e tecnologias verdes

A Loma Negra investiu 12,4 milhões de dólares na implementação da tecnologia verde durante 2023, concentrando -se no uso alternativo de combustível e na eficiência energética.

Investimento em tecnologia verde	Quantidade (USD)	Foco em tecnologia
Sistemas de combustível alternativos	5,6 milhões	Integração de combustível derivada de resíduos
Atualizações de eficiência energética	6,8 milhões	Melhorias de moinho de forno e moagem

Aumento dos regulamentos ambientais no setor de manufatura industrial

Os regulamentos ambientais argentinos exigem uma redução de 40% nas emissões industriais específicas até 2030, impactando diretamente as estratégias operacionais de Loma Negra.

Requisito regulatório	Prazo para conformidade	Status de conformidade atual
Alvo de redução de emissões	2030	25% de progresso alcançado
Risco de penalidade ambiental	Em andamento	Baixo (compatível com os padrões atuais)

Conservação de água e energia, tornando -se considerações operacionais críticas

A Loma Negra reduziu o consumo de água em 22% na produção de cimento, com foco específico na reciclagem e técnicas de uso eficiente.

Métrica de conservação	Desempenho atual	Economia anual
Redução do consumo de água	22%	1,4 milhão de metros cúbicos
Melhoria da eficiência energética	18%	3,2 milhões de kWh

Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) - PESTLE Analysis: Social factors

You're looking at how the Argentine social fabric is shaping demand for cement, and honestly, it's a mixed bag of strong underlying need clashing with significant operational friction. For Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA), the story is about capturing the demand created by population shifts while managing the risks tied to labor and the massive informal economy.

Public demand for affordable housing drives a baseline need for cement and concrete.

The fundamental need for shelter in Argentina is a huge tailwind for LOMA. With the repeal of rent control, the real cost of renting has dropped by 40% when adjusted for inflation, and falling interest rates have brought mortgages back into play, which directly fuels residential construction. This isn't just talk; we saw it in the numbers. For the first ten months of 2025, Argentina's total cement consumption was up 7.2% year-over-year, hitting 8.432 Million tons. Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima is clearly tapping into this, reporting that its cement, masonry, and lime sales volumes grew 11.1% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2025.

The company is positioning itself aggressively for this demand, setting targets for 2025 market share of 47.3% in residential construction and 44.6% in the commercial segment. They even made a strategic move, investing $70 million in a new 25-kilogram cement bag specifically to improve worker safety and reduce waste on smaller sites, which speaks directly to the residential and small-scale project market.

High informal economy activity means construction demand can be underreported or volatile.

Here's the quick math: a massive portion of the construction workforce is operating outside the tax and social security net, which means a chunk of the actual building activity isn't fully captured in formal reporting, and it creates an uneven playing field for LOMA. In the first quarter of 2025, the informality rate in the construction sector hit a staggering 75.4%. Nationally, the overall informality rate was 43.2% in the second quarter of 2025. What this estimate hides is the true scale of projects that might use non-standard materials or bypass formal supply chains, though the recent growth in official cement consumption suggests formal channels are gaining traction amid economic stabilization.

Labor relations and union negotiations in the construction sector are a constant operational factor.

Labor is definitely a flashpoint you need to watch closely. The government is pushing a new labor reform bill when Congress reconvenes around December 6, 2025, which unions are strongly rejecting. The Construction Workers' Union, represented by Gerardo Martinez in the CGT, has warned that parts of the proposal clash with international labor conventions. This reform package, if passed, could alter collective bargaining, increase the workday limit to 12 hours from the current 8 hours established in 1928, and reduce employer liability for unfair dismissal. For LOMA, this means constant uncertainty regarding wage negotiations, potential strike action, and the cost structure of their formally employed workforce, even as they compete with informal labor.

Shifting demographics toward urban centers sustains demand for infrastructure and commercial builds.

The country is highly concentrated, which is good news for large-scale infrastructure and urban projects that require bulk cement supply. As of 2025, Argentina's urbanization rate is approximately 65%, meaning about 44.01 million people live in urban areas. The ten largest metropolitan areas account for half the total population. This concentration drives structural demand for the very projects LOMA targets, like the government's push for road networks and logistics hubs. The company is banking on this, targeting 40.9% market share in infrastructure by 2025.

Here are the key social metrics shaping your outlook for Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima:

Sociological Metric	Value / Status (as of 2025)	Source Relevance
Urbanization Rate	~65%	Sustains infrastructure and urban demand
Construction Sector Informality Rate	75.4% (Q1 2025)	Indicates volatile, underreported demand base
Overall National Informality Rate	43.2% (Q2 2025)	Affects competition and labor costs
Cement Consumption Growth (YTD Oct 2025)	7.2% Year-over-Year	Direct indicator of baseline demand strength
LOMA Cement Volume Growth (Q2 2025)	11.1% Year-over-Year	Company capturing market recovery
Labor Reform Status	New bill anticipated in Congress (Dec 2025)	Major operational risk/opportunity for labor costs

If onboarding takes 14+ days for new formal hires due to union/regulatory hurdles, project timelines for public works will definitely slip, impacting LOMA's revenue recognition schedule.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) - PESTLE Analysis: Technological factors

You're looking at how LOMA is modernizing its operations to fight Argentina's high energy costs and meet future environmental demands. Honestly, in this market, technology isn't just about being modern; it's about survival and staying competitive against rivals who are also pushing green agendas.

Need for investment in energy-efficient kilns to cut high electricity and fuel costs

Energy is a massive cost center for cement makers, and LOMA is feeling the pinch, even with cost of sales remaining nearly flat in Q2 2025, partly due to improved energy contracts. The drive here is clear: replace old, thirsty kilns with newer, more efficient models. This is a capital-intensive move, but the payoff is in the operating expense line.

LOMA is actively addressing this through its sustainability push. They made a $78.4 million investment in green cement technologies, with a specific goal to hit a 22% reduction in carbon emissions by 2025. This investment is crucial because their 2024 specific emissions were 507kg of CO2 per tonne of cementitious product. Lowering that number means lower future regulatory risk and potentially lower operational costs from day one.

It's a long-term bet on efficiency. The company also aims to achieve a clinker factor of less than 65%, which means using more supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) instead of high-energy clinker.

Increased adoption of digital tools for logistics and supply chain optimization

Getting cement from the plant to the construction site efficiently is just as important as making it, especially when volume growth is strong but pricing is weak. LOMA has already put significant money into this area, spending $56.2 million in digital infrastructure investments.

This spending is translating into tangible operational changes. As of the latest reports, 38% of LOMA's facilities are automated. This level of automation helps control costs, which is vital when gross profit margin contracted by 659 basis points to 20.4% in Q2 2025.

While specific LOMA data on AI adoption is proprietary, the industry trend in Latin America for 2025 shows that AI systems are already reducing demand prediction errors by up to 30%. If LOMA is keeping pace, this means less wasted inventory and better scheduling for their growing dispatch volumes, which rose 11.1% year-over-year in Q2 2025.

Use of alternative fuels (co-processing) to reduce reliance on costly imported fossil fuels

Reliance on imported fossil fuels exposes LOMA to currency volatility and high international commodity prices. Using alternative fuels, often through co-processing waste materials in the kilns, is a direct hedge against this. This is a key part of promoting the circular economy for the company.

The progress here is steady, though the absolute numbers are still small relative to total thermal needs. In 2024, LOMA increased its alternative fuel use (excluding non-fossil biomass) to 3.1% of total thermal energy required, up from 1.7% the year before. Biomass use also saw an increase, moving from 0.45% to 1.16% over the same period.

These small percentage gains matter when you consider the massive energy input required for cement production. Every percentage point shifted away from imported fuel saves hard currency and stabilizes the cost base.

Exploring low-carbon cement production methods to meet future global standards

The global push for decarbonization means that simply meeting today's standards isn't enough; you have to anticipate tomorrow's. LOMA's $78.4 million investment in green cement technologies is their primary move here, targeting that 22% emissions reduction by 2025.

This exploration is also being supported externally. The Inter-American Development Bank is helping finance a US$235 million, five-year capital expenditure programme for LOMA, which specifically includes environmental measures to bring standards up to international levels. This funding structure, accessing longer tenor financing, is essential for these multi-year, high-cost technological upgrades.

Beyond the kilns, LOMA is also focused on product innovation, like the recent $70 million investment in a new 25-kilogram cement bag designed to improve worker safety and reduce waste, which is a form of process-level technological upgrade aimed at the end-user segment.

Here's a quick view of LOMA's key technology and sustainability metrics as of the latest reporting leading into 2025:

Metric/Investment Area	Value/Target	Source Year/Period
Green Cement Technology Investment	$78.4 million	Q2 2025 Investment
Target Carbon Emission Reduction	22%	By 2025
Digital Infrastructure Investment	$56.2 million	Reported
Facilities Automated	38%	Reported
Alternative Fuel Use (Non-Biomass)	3.1% of total thermal energy	2024
Target Clinker Factor	Less than 65%	Goal
CapEx for 25kg Bag Project	Ps. 18.0 billion	Q2 2025

What this estimate hides is the exact breakdown of the $78.4 million green investment-is it mostly in carbon capture exploration or energy efficiency upgrades? We need to see the Q3 2025 breakdown to know where the bulk of the capital is actually flowing.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) - PESTLE Analysis: Legal factors

You're looking at the Argentine legal landscape, and honestly, it's a minefield of complexity that demands constant vigilance. For Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA), the legal framework is a double-edged sword: recent reforms aim to open things up, but the underlying structure remains layered and prone to sudden shifts.

Complex, multi-layered tax structure (federal, provincial, municipal) increases compliance burden.

The compliance burden for LOMA is significant because you aren't just dealing with the federal government; you have provincial and municipal layers adding complexity. The Federal Administration of Public Revenues (AFIP) oversees the main corporate income tax (CIT), which, for fiscal years starting on or after January 1, 2025, uses a progressive scale, topping out at 35% for higher taxable income.

But that's just the start. You also have the Value Added Tax (VAT) at a standard 21%, though some items get a reduced 10.5% rate. Then there's the provincial turnover tax, or Ingresos Brutos, which varies by jurisdiction, averaging between 4% and 6% for trade and services, but for manufacturing activities like cement production, it's generally lower, ranging from 0% to 2%. Keeping track of these varying rates across the 24 jurisdictions is a full-time job.

Here's a quick look at the federal CIT structure as indexed for 2025:

Taxable Income Bracket (ARS)	Applicable Rate
Up to 101,679,575.26	25%
Over 101,679,575.26 up to 1,016,795,752.62	30% on the excess over ARS 101,679,575.26
Over 1,016,795,752.62	35% on the excess over ARS 1,016,795,752.62

What this estimate hides is the administrative cost of filing independently, as joint fiscal returns are not permitted.

Foreign investment laws are subject to sudden changes, affecting investor confidence.

Investor confidence in Argentina is always tethered to the perceived stability of the rules, especially regarding capital movement. While there have been positive moves, like the partial lifting of foreign exchange restrictions in April 2025, allowing better access to the official market for dividend repatriation, the memory of past sudden controls lingers. The government has committed to fully eliminating all remaining capital controls by the end of 2025, which is a major positive signal.

To counteract historical uncertainty, the recent Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI) offers a 30-year stability guarantee on tax, customs, and foreign exchange regulations for approved projects, which is a concrete step toward predictability for major capital projects. Also, corporate compliance has been simplified; for instance, General Resolution 15/2024 eliminated the annual reaffirmation requirement for foreign companies operating here. Still, any major infrastructure investment requires careful structuring to lock in these benefits before the next political cycle.

Labor laws are strict, making workforce adjustments and dismissals a costly and slow process.

Historically, Argentine labor law has heavily favored job stability, meaning workforce adjustments were defintely slow and expensive. The traditional severance calculation was one month's salary for every year of service upon dismissal without just cause. However, recent reforms under Law No. 27,742 (in force since July 2024) introduce crucial flexibility that LOMA can use.

The key changes to consider right now are:

• Elimination of fines for deficient employment registration.
• Probationary periods extended to eight months; termination during this time requires no compensation.
• Ability to replace statutory severance with a Severance Fund via collective bargaining.
• Reinstatement is off the table for discriminatory dismissal; only increased severance applies.

The risk now shifts: while termination costs are potentially lower due to repealed fines, the potential for a 50% to 100% severance increase if discrimination is proven rests on the employee's ability to prove it. If onboarding takes 14+ days, churn risk rises if you don't use the new eight-month trial period correctly.

Trade agreements or tariffs on imported clinker and machinery can shift without warning.

Tariff policy has been highly volatile, but 2025 has seen significant liberalization, which directly impacts LOMA's capital expenditure planning for new plant equipment. The government has been actively reducing duties on capital goods, often aligning with Mercosur benchmarks.

For example, Decree 513/2025, effective July 30, 2025, slashed tariffs on 27 strategic machines from the 20% to 35% range down to 12.6%. Furthermore, other machinery and industrial inputs saw reductions as low as 2% under earlier measures. This is a clear move to lower production costs and encourage technological upgrades.

On the input side, Resolution 26/2025 simplified cement import conformity by accepting international certificates from recognized bodies, which avoids months of delay from double certification processes. Still, these tariff levels are subject to Mercosur agreements that allow differentiated rates until December 2028, meaning the current low rates are not permanently guaranteed.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday, factoring in the new 12.6% tariff rate for planned Q1 2026 machinery purchases.

Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (LOMA) - PESTLE Analysis: Environmental factors

You're looking at how the ground beneath LOMA's operations is shifting due to environmental pressures, which is critical because cement production is energy-intensive and resource-dependent. The regulatory landscape in Argentina is tightening, especially following the late 2024 updates to mandatory technical requirements for construction products, which now explicitly cover hygiene, health, and environment standards effective November 20, 2024. This means compliance isn't just about avoiding fines; it's about maintaining market access. Honestly, the biggest near-term risk is failing to meet the evolving $\text{CO}_2$ intensity targets while managing the physical risks of resource extraction.

Strict emissions standards for cement production, particularly for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and dust.

While the search results don't give us the specific 2025 Argentine legal limits for $\text{NO}_\text{x}$ and dust, we know LOMA is under pressure to improve. Back in 2021, their specific $\text{NO}_\text{x}$ emissions were $\mathbf{2,658 g/ton clinker}$, and dust was $\mathbf{111 g/ton clinker}$. The fact that the 2023 report noted $\text{NO}_\text{x}$ values at the L'Amalí Plant were an exception to current regulations, prompting an engineering project to improve emissions, shows this is an active compliance issue. The industry itself is pushing for change, with updates to the IRAM 50,000 standard aiming to allow composite Portland cement with $\mathbf{35\%}$ to $\mathbf{50\%}$ mineral additions, directly cutting clinker and, therefore, emissions. This regulatory push means capital expenditure on abatement technology is a definite near-term cost.

High scrutiny on quarrying and land use permits for raw material extraction.

Securing and maintaining access to limestone and aggregates is the lifeblood of LOMA, and this is increasingly tied to environmental performance. The general trend in Argentina, as seen in other sectors like mining in Mendoza, is toward more transparent and predictable rules, often requiring detailed Environmental Impact Declarations (EIA). For LOMA, this translates to longer lead times and higher upfront investment in environmental impact studies for any new quarrying site or permit renewal. You need to ensure your land use planning is robust; if onboarding new sites takes longer than expected, production capacity could be constrained well into 2026.

Water usage restrictions in drought-prone regions impact production capacity.

Water management is a tangible operational risk, especially given Argentina's varied climate. LOMA reported a significant win in 2024, achieving a $\mathbf{31\%}$ reduction in water use compared to the prior year, which is excellent progress. However, this highlights the sensitivity of their operations to water availability. If the 2025-2026 rainy season is poor, regional water authorities could impose stricter draw limits, forcing LOMA to slow down production or invest heavily in closed-loop recycling systems. Here's the quick math: if production remains near the $\mathbf{5Mt}$ mark achieved in 2024, any mandated reduction in water intensity will directly cap output unless efficiency gains outpace the restrictions.

Growing pressure from stakeholders for clear, measurable carbon reduction targets.

Stakeholder expectations are moving fast from general sustainability statements to hard numbers. LOMA has set a target to keep $\text{CO}_2$ emissions below $\mathbf{465kg}$ per tonne of cementitious materials. Their 2024 performance was $\mathbf{507kg/t}$ (Scope 1 and 2), meaning they still have a $\mathbf{8.3\%}$ gap to close to hit that specific goal. This gap is the focus for investors and regulators right now. They are also focused on the clinker factor, aiming for under $\mathbf{65\%}$, and increased alternative fuel use to $\mathbf{3.1\%}$ in 2024. What this estimate hides is the difficulty of the last few percentage points of decarbonization without major technological shifts, like those seen with competitors investing in wind power.

Here is a snapshot of LOMA's recent environmental performance metrics:

Metric	Year	Value	Unit	Context/Target
Specific $\text{CO}_2$ Emissions (Scope 1 & 2)	2024	507	kg $\text{CO}_2$/t cementitious product	Target is $\mathbf{465kg/t}$
Specific $\text{NO}_\text{x}$ Emissions	2021	2,658	g/ton clinker	L'Amalí plant required improvement
Specific Dust Emissions	2021	111	g/ton clinker	Historical benchmark
Alternative Fuel Use (Non-Biomass)	2024	3.1%	of total thermal energy	Up from $\mathbf{1.7\%}$ in 2023
Water Use Reduction	2024	31%	Reduction vs. prior year	Significant operational improvement

To manage these environmental headwinds effectively, LOMA needs to prioritize capital allocation toward proven emission control technologies. If onboarding takes 14+ days longer than planned due to permit delays, production risk rises.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view detailing projected CapEx for $\text{NO}_\text{x}$ abatement systems by Friday.