Get ready for less imported products!

[John.St]

Sorry to be off-topic, but what would change with the new decreto?

Here it is: http://www.migraciones.gov.ar/pdf_varios/residencias/Decreto_616_2010.pdf

 

[PhilipDT]

I'm sorry, the cost of imported products is completely unjustifiable by health care cost or anything else. The simple basic fact of the matter is that as long as Argentina makes the global market inaccessible to its citizens, it will continue to be a third world dump.

This is the 21st century, we don't live in countries, we live on planet earth. If there is a market to support something, I like the fact that I can buy it. Look at wine for example, you can't really buy anything other than argentine wines because the absurd import taxes make everything else completely unreasonable. And what has this done??? Has this improved life in argentina? NO! Argentine wines, after having had taxes covered on them leaving argentina, taxes covered on them entering the US, and carrying the cost of transportation half way across the world, are significantly cheaper in the USA.

Competition drives down prices. Lower prices = more purchasing power = higher standard of living = better country.

 

[El Duderino]

I'm back in the states and I just swung by costco to buy some razor blades and I noticed that the NY strip is about 8 pesos / kg cheaper than bife de chorizo in buenos aires.

So, cheap steak is a no....

I was referring to how cheap a good steak is in restaurants here (10-15 USD). When you have to pay at least 20 for something good in the states.

 

[Johnny]

I'm sorry, the cost of imported products is completely unjustifiable by health care cost or anything else. The simple basic fact of the matter is that as long as Argentina makes the global market inaccessible to its citizens, it will continue to be a third world dump.

This is the 21st century, we don't live in countries, we live on planet earth. If there is a market to support something, I like the fact that I can buy it. Look at wine for example, you can't really buy anything other than argentine wines because the absurd import taxes make everything else completely unreasonable. And what has this done??? Has this improved life in argentina? NO! Argentine wines, after having had taxes covered on them leaving argentina, taxes covered on them entering the US, and carrying the cost of transportation half way across the world, are significantly cheaper in the USA.

Competition drives down prices. Lower prices = more purchasing power = higher standard of living = better country.

You may want to do some research into the history of protectionism practiced by 1st world countries, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries (backed up by naval warfare and invasions). In fact, those efforts at protectionism went a long way to insure they remained 1st world countries, and they didn't give a shit who liked it or didn't like it.

Not to say that Argentina's current form of protectionism will have the same dramatic impact, but a brief history lesson may assist one in not becoming a nationalistic hypocrite.

 

[andrewjps]

In addition to the above point some knowledge of the recent history of Argentina and Latin America would maybe show the follies of opening up to the world market, especially in a periphery country such as Argentina. Lower prices are not always a good thing. There is still labour involved.

And yes, the form of protectionism that Kirchner has implemented is unwieldy and needs some tweaking, however it is a good deal better than what happened here in the nineties by he who should not be named.

 

[scotttswan]

This may be off topic and I certainly have my criticisms about this country, however I don't think that availability of certain brands of electronics and appliances are what makes a country 1st world or 3rd world. When I lived in New York City (my hometown), I remember when I remodeled my kitchen, I had to choose between literally 50 brands of dishwashers, microwaves, oven/stove combinations, trash compactors, washers, instant hot water spigot, you name it.......did any of that better my life or make me any happier?.......NO!.......Yesterday I was on Av. Cabildo looking around in all the big electronics stores, Fravega, Hiper Rodo, Garbarino, etc. and there were tons of items and the stores were all packed with people shopping. Prices are higher here for many of these items so instead of having 2 LCD TVs you have 1, instead of having all of those small kitchen appliances in the cabinets for years collecting dust you only buy them if you are really going to use them. Just my humble opinion.......

Because the states have a retarded health care system does not mean that electronics here should be four times as much as in other countries.

I'm looking at lcd tv's just now and Uruguay, who have free health care have tv's about a quarter cheaper than the price here. Chile is about half the price. The UK is even cheaper!

When every store is currently selling them at the same price, you have to question if there is something else going on behind the scenes. Why is there no competition in prices? How is it i could fly to Chile, buy a new model of tv there, fly back and pay the taxes at the airport here and still end up ahead?

 

[Amargo]

Lower prices = more purchasing power = higher standard of living = better country.

Apalling to see things like that. At least for me there are heaps of more important thing other than what I can buy.

Regarding protectionism, it is supposed to be bad bad bad. However, why it is not the case with Brazil? I regularly visit Brazil for business and the taxes there are just incredibly high, higher than in Argentina for most products. Specially high for industrial products which have an equivalent 'made in Brazil'. The industry there has been booming in recent yeras and the amount of foreign investment is so high it has driven up consumer prices, making the country particularly expensive in big cities. And it does not seem to come to an end.
Hiring an employee in Brazil is a nightmare and it costs 120% of what you pay him/her in taxes.

Anyone has an explanation for their success?

 

[davonz]

I don't care about LCD TV's, or kitchen appliances, as most people buy and never use.. or in the case of TV's use to much..

However I find it annoying that computers and other useful technologies are way over priced. The more people who have access to computers and other technology, the more people who will play with them, learn to program, or use them to design things, or learn some other new skills.. which then might be used to produce items that are sellable off shore and bring income into the country, or gives them skills to get jobs overseas etc, and these restrictions and hugh import duties stop this.

There is not one technology product which is designed/produced in AR that i can think of that is a global leader or a globally recognisable item - however i could be wrong, as NZ doesnt have the range of brands/products that the States or Europe have due to size of population so please correct me if there is..

 

[thuy.ashtango]

But hey! $10 steak!

When you earn in pesos, a $10 dollar steak is quite expensive. And man cannot live on steak alone.

 

[rockinkaj]

Competition drives down prices. Lower prices = more purchasing power = higher standard of living = better country.

That is one point of view...