Import Restrictions To Be Lifted

[Gringoboy]

According to La Nacion, Argentina lost its appeal against the WTO ruling to open up imports and signed on 6th July.
http://www.expatica.com/ch/news/country-news/Argentina-loses-appeal-against-WTO-imports-ruling_445785.html
It's said that from 31st December, the crazy restrictions will be lifted.
One hopes that the next government will abide by this ruling and it would be interesting to know if things will return to normal (sic).
For example, will we be able to receive parcels from overseas and NOT have to sign our lives away, become official importers and trek all the way to Ezeiza?
Will we be able to buy online from Amazon etc?
With the exchange controls (currently becoming harsher) being intricately entwined with the import controls, so that the books can be balanced (apparently), this move, whilst welcome, does leave many questions.

 

[glasgowjohn]

Import restrictions (licences) will be lifted but no one is saying anything about import taxes.

Companies will no longer need prior permission to import things they need.

Individuals? Not clear what will happen - will probably depend on the new government.

 

[Matiasba]

The paradox with import restrictions is that on one side, it helps you have a balanced balance of payments, impulse the argentine industry, the local production (the famous ISI: Industrializacion por sustitución de importaciones).
But on the other side, we need as well imports to produce, to grow. Growth fell dramatically in 2012 with these restrictions, we still need capital assests.

This government has impulsed industry like no one before in the last 40 years. They achieved a great recovery of our industrial framework. Industry now explains a greater percentage of GDP than when they assumed.

I think it is good if they are gonna be released, in persuit of continue the path of growth. I think next government, no matter who wins, will also devalue, in order to get competitiveness.

 

[camberiu]

This government has impulsed industry like no one before in the last 40 years. They achieved a great recovery of our industrial framework. Industry now explains a greater percentage of GDP than when they assumed.

Indeed. No other government has forced the population to buy over priced and low quality locally produced industrial goods at this scale before. Talk about wealth transfer to the "friends of the queen".

 

[ajoknoblauch]

The paradox with import restrictions is that on one side, it helps you have a balanced balance of payments, impulse the argentine industry, the local production (the famous ISI: Industrializacion por sustitución de importaciones).
But on the other side, we need as well imports to produce, to grow. Growth fell dramatically in 2012 with these restrictions, we still need capital assests.

This government has impulsed industry like no one before in the last 40 years. They achieved a great recovery of our industrial framework. Industry now explains a greater percentage of GDP than when they assumed.

I think it is good if they are gonna be released, in persuit of continue the paath of growth. I think next government, no matter who wins, will also devalue, in order to get competitiveness.

Import restrictions may prove more difficult to undo than they were to enact. What they've achieved is to eliminate many necessities or substitute inferior local versions of them.

 

[Matiasba]

Indeed. No other government has forced the population to buy over priced and low quality locally produced industrial goods at this scale before. Talk about wealth transfer to the "friends of the queen".

The thing is, yes, maybe the quality is inferior, our cars can not compete with Germany, or our electronics are no good compared to Japan.
But thats a *detail* if we think what argentine industry represents to Argentina. It means work, good, quality work, en blanco, etc, for a lot of argentineans, it means growth, it means prosperity, industry is prosperity, in Argentina, China or the US.

And BTW, search about planned obsolesence, its not that things last today like it did. Things are made, EVERYWHERE, to last 5-8 years. EVERYTHING. So the quality premise of US goods so much better than Argentine ones, I dispute.

 

[thorsten]

Sometimes when I read Mathias' posts, I really wonder which hallucinogenic drugs have such a stable long-term effect...

 

[Matiasba]

Sometimes when I read Mathias' posts, I really wonder which hallucinogenic drugs have such a stable long-term effect...

... or instead you can argue with arguments.

 

[sleslie23]

Sometimes when I read Mathias' posts, I really wonder which hallucinogenic drugs have such a stable long-term effect...

It's called paco.

 

[sleslie23]

... or instead you can argue with arguments.

Why? When we do, you ignore them.