Overview
- Workers and allied unions blocked the Panamericana’s Tigre branch near Virreyes on Thursday morning, with Gendarmería later reopening two lanes while maintaining a security cordon.
- Argentina’s labor authority imposed a mandatory conciliation for at least 15 days, but SUTNA leaders said they would remain at the site unless the factory reopens.
- A guarantees court ordered the immediate eviction and restitution of the Virreyes plant to its owners, yet limited occupations and police deployments continued around the premises.
- Fate attributed the shutdown to changing market conditions, as sector data from PxQ show tire imports up 34.8% from 2023 to 2025 and domestic prices down 42.6%, alongside thousands of lost jobs.
- Industry groups warn the closure could jeopardize roughly 2,500 supplier jobs, while President Javier Milei criticized owner Javier Madanes Quintanilla and questioned the timing near a pivotal labor‑reform debate and CGT strike.