Asturias’ industrial decline shapes a day of business changes and progress in a political investigation
The most important news of the day comes from Asturias, where industrial production fell again in March. According to the published data, Asturias’ industry has now recorded six consecutive months of decline. The drop was 7% compared with the same month last year, one of the worst results among Spain’s autonomous communities. This situation coincides with the shutdown of one of ArcelorMittal’s two blast furnaces, which went out of service due to a breakdown last October.
The slowdown in industrial activity is worrying because it affects a key sector of the Asturian economy. The loss of production has been dragging on for months and shows the dependence on large facilities such as those of ArcelorMittal. The trend over the coming months will be important in determining whether this negative pattern continues or whether part of the activity can be recovered.
Also in Asturias, another economic story stands out because of its business and labor impact. The U.S. multinational Corteva, which has around 400 employees at its industrial complex in the Tamón valley, in Carreño, announced that it will split into two companies starting in October. The company will separate its crop protection business from its seeds business.
As part of this reorganization, the seeds area will be transferred to a new company called Vylor. This decision represents an important change for a company with a strong presence in Asturias and roots in the former DuPont. For now, the known information focuses on the group’s future structure and on how its activities will be organized from the autumn onward.
Outside the economic sphere, another of the day’s stories concerns the Plus Ultra case. According to the report, the investigation has taken a turn after the arrests carried out in December 2025. In this new scenario, businessman Julio Martínez Muñoz appears as a relevant figure, described as a key piece in the development of the case.
The article also links this judicial development to former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, in a context of growing political and media attention. The information focuses on the new movements in the investigation and on the connections that investigators are analyzing.
Taken together, the day leaves a picture marked by three main issues: the weakening of Asturias’ industry, organizational changes at a multinational with hundreds of workers in the region, and a new step forward in a high-profile political and business investigation. They are different issues, but all are relevant because of their economic, labor, or institutional impact.