Argentina to cut red tape for some imports

Argentina announced it will implement some measures to streamline and simplify trade operations in the country, including for some imports.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

The measures are targeted at boosting Argentina’s exchange rate against the U.S. dollar, according to the deregulation and state transformation ministry. The peso trades at an official exchange rate along with weaker rates for commodities, commerce as well as an unofficial rate.

CONTEXT

The new regulation will eliminate a requirement that some imports be priced to market as well as a fiscal stamp from tax agency AFIP.

BY THE NUMBERS

The government estimates that the measures will increase exporters’ profitability by 1%, while importers will see a 1% drop in profitability.

The chart below shows the top imported products in containers that arrived at Argentinian ports between January and August 2024. The data from Datamar’s DataLiner platform comprises only maritime, long-haul shipments.

Top Argentina Imports in Containers | 2024 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

KEY QUOTES

“The State shouldn’t act with the mindset that everyone is a criminal,” said Federico Sturzenegger, minister of deregulation and state transformation, who has been spearheading efforts to cut out what he and libertarian President Javier Milei view as burdensome state bureaucracy.

“The (customs) controls are going to be the same,” said AFIP head Florencia Misrahi. “But these measures are aimed at having customs only control what it needs to be controlling.”

WHAT’S NEXT

The text of the regulations, in full detail, will be published on Wednesday in the nation’s Official Gazette.

Reporting by Candelaria Grimberg; Writing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Editing by Jacqueline Wong

Source: Reuters

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