Argentina Eliminates Import Taxes on Electronics

Argentina has announced a plan to reduce and eventually abolish import taxes on electronics. The goal is to lower the prices of these products, which currently can cost twice as much as in Brazil and the United States, and to bring Argentina in line with its neighboring countries.

According to Manuel Adorni, the presidential spokesperson, it is “ridiculous” for citizens to travel to another country to buy devices at cheaper prices. The plan includes reducing taxes on imported cell phones, televisions, video game consoles, and air conditioners.

The elimination of import taxes will occur in two defined stages. The first phase will occur between May 19 and 25, 2025, when the tax rate will drop from 16% to 8%.

The second phase, scheduled for January 15, 2026, will eliminate import taxes on cell phones. The general expectation is that the prices of imported electronics will fall by at least 30%.

With the initial reduction to 8%, an advanced model like the iPhone 16 Pro Max would already become slightly cheaper in Argentina than in Brazil. In the second phase, in 2026, the price gap would widen further without import taxes. A 256 GB iPhone Pro Max would cost R$11,656 in Argentina, compared to R$12,499 in Brazil.

In a later stage of Argentina’s plan, with no specific date yet, the government also intends to cut domestic taxes on electronics from 19% to 9.5%. This would bring the price of an iPhone 16 Pro down to R$10,796, representing a reduction of R$2,312 from the current price.

Source: Money Times

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