The expansion of the Argentine industry occurred from the 90's thanks mainly to the strengthening of Mercosur. Although the economy remains focused on agricultural production, Argentine industry is currently responsible for approximately 35% of Gross Domestic Product (2006). The food, textile, chemical, petrochemical, vehicle, metallurgical and steel industries are the main ones in the country. In the late 1990s there was a sharp drop in industrial production, which heralded the crisis of the early 1990s. Steel, in particular, is a very important metal for the Argentine economy, being the main metal exported in large quantities to developed countries.
