No more imported food...

[billsfan]

I suspect you have only read about american farmers. Come on up, I will introduce you to a neighbor of mine, who recently ripped out 40 acres of apple trees, as he could not compete with cheap imported apples. The land is for sale right now...

Ohhh.. funny!! So I'm sure he is really glad the free market agreements made his business to fail, right?

Again, USA has put a very tiny quota on imported meat, grains and fruits FROM Argentina (I was not talking about the rest of the world, as I WOULD NOT KNOW what is each deal).

So in any case, it was not argentine grains or fruits that put your neighbor out of business. Free market arrangements did.

 

[MizzMarr]

Im not really following this issue but it´s my understanding that we will ban importing food products that are manufactured/grown/raised here. Tabasco Sauce, peanut butter, ranch dressing and many other products are not made here so those products should not be banned. I believe this products will remain the same, being foreign exotic goods, not banned and pricey as they are now. Now, chocolate might fall in the category of banned products since we do manufacture a great deal of chocolate based products and this is when we (all of us) would be affected, in case we wanted some nice expensive swiss chocolate just to indulge ourselves we may no longer (at least for as long as cristina is president hehe) be able to get it. Now, im way far from agreeing with Kirchner´s policies but this one in particular is the one that bothers me the most (i understand for expats it may be a bit more touchy but again, i do believe products like peanut butter will be imported just the same as nowadays)
On the other hand, we are currently importing many things we are good at producing. For example, much of the beef we are eating these days comes from uruguay and brazil....needless to say that this is ludacris !!
Again, im not really into this subject so im just saying what i think it will happen.

Well, I hope that you're right. Based on the article that I read (http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1261662) it looks like if there is an "equivalent" product made in Argentina, that any corresponding product will not be imported. To me the word "equivalent" is broad, and if they government is deciding that it worries me. I think it means if Argentina has "beer" there will be no Belgian, German, Irish, etc., imports. If Argentina has "potato chips" then no more pringles. If Argentina has "hot sauce", no more tabasco, etc.

Quoting from the article, "La restricción regirá para una larga lista de artículos, desde las pastas italianas hasta las cervezas alemanas, pasando por el aceite de oliva español o el chocolate suizo. "Mientras haya un fabricante nacional, no hay razón para trabajar con un producto importado. El que quiera seguir trayendo palmitos o ananá no va a tener problemas, pero no vamos a permitir que se sigan importando jamón crudo italiano o chocolates desde Europa".

The main problem is, as most people will agree, that the quality of many argentine products is substandard to what is imported, and as others have noted there won't be any competition to put any pressure on otherwise to make a superior product. What is worse is that this is an infringement on freedom and the free market, and a dark sign of things to come. I believe that nationalist protectionism will only harm Argentina and her inhabitants.

I know I'm going out and stocking up on refried beans today, just in case.

 

[Celia]

What little joy there was in this country has long gone...I will be leaving asap....can't wait!!!
Yes, I love tango but I can come here on holiday....I won't have to put up with the day to day bul%shi! that drains one's lifeblood and soul.

 

[mcaffa]

What little joy there was in this country has long gone...I will be leaving asap....can't wait!!!
Yes, I love tango but I can come here on holiday....I won't have to put up with the day to day bul%shi! that drains one's lifeblood and soul.

I hear you! I've been in Argentina since 2004 and I am counting down the days until I'm out of here. I'm just sticking around until my Argentine husband finishes up his studies and then ''chau''!

 

[steveinbsas]

Time to stock up.

The Disco on Esmeralda (near Libertador) has the best selection of soon to be forbidden foods I know of in CF.

I wonder if peanut butter will be banned. There is dame mani here, but it's not readily available. I doubt jalapenos, Mexican salsa, or hundreds of Asian products will be affected, but how great a threat could Heinz Catsup or French's yellow mustard pose?

 

[SaraSara]

For example, much of the beef we are eating these days comes from uruguay and brazil....needless to say that this is ludacris !!
Again, im not really into this subject so im just saying what i think it will happen.

The problem is that there is simply not enough cattle in Argentina right now to support the local appetite for beef. That's why it's being imported from Uruguay.

Cattlemen started liquidating their herds when the govt. tax system made it impossible to feed their animals. The price of feed was much more than the price of beef, so many switched from raising cattle to planting "soja". This is something I happen to have first-hand knowledge of.

Want to have a nice soybean cutlet instead of a real steak?

Sara

 

[syngirl]

Well this is just yet another item in a longlist of protectionist measures they are coming up with lately... the one that will affect a lot of local consumers, and not just upperclass and foreigners, is not to do with food but with cellphone and other technological devices.

They intend to essentially double the price of any foreign-built devices in order to encourage people to buy locally made devices. They have created fabricas in Tierra del fuego and have basically given an ultimatum to the large producers (nokia etc) -- sign an agreement with one of 13 pre-aprroved fabricas and your devices can remain within Argentina (though will be built here, not in China etc) -- or leave the country. Of course most of the fabricas have a shall we say, loving, and fruitful, relationship with the Kirchners.

http://andreszpoliticaycultura.blogspot.com/2009/11/computadoras-celulares-y-lcd-en-la-mira.html

 

[jazrgz]

I know Syngirl ! that´s exactly why the kirchners are pretty much hated here, is not just you expats who can see all this B.S. happening to our country and economy, most of us do and hate it even more that you i can assure you ! hehe.
All this crazy ludacris corrupted policies will remain as long as the kirchners are in power, that for sure and we know it. The kirchners will not win the next presidential elections but is impossible to say nowadays who will but whoever does will most likely stop all this madness and start taking sane policies (some good some bad, but sane) and then hopefully we´ll be able to see a more down to earch argentina and only then many things will improve, im sure not overnight, but im confident it will.

-Juan

 

[Ashley]

Just wondering...does this mean that they'll be reducing the amount of foodstuffs argentina can export too?
Policy-wise I have no idea what I'm talking about but it's my understanding (and experience) that the reason behind the fairly dramatic reduction in quality of local produce over the past few years is that all the good stuff's being exported. In the UK, the Argentine beef is second to none in all supermarket chains, while here you've got to really look for a good, fat-less piece. You can also get great apples and even massive juicy blueberries imported from Argentina...both of which are always bruised and battered if you buy them here (not to mention the fact that they now cost exactly the same in both countries!).
I'm all for restrictions if it's actually going to protect the local market...but how about some restrictions then to protect the local PEOPLE...and me!

 

[ssr]

The problem is that there is simply not enough cattle in Argentina right now to support the local appetite for beef. That's why it's being imported from Uruguay.

Cattlemen started liquidating their herds when the govt. tax system made it impossible to feed their animals. The price of feed was much more than the price of beef, so many switched from raising cattle to planting "soja". This is something I happen to have first-hand knowledge of.

Want to have a nice soybean cutlet instead of a real steak?

Sara

This can't be good news for those Argentine soy farmers:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...razil-u-s-soyoil-supply-on-argentine-ban.html

I'm sure American and Brazilian soy farmers really appreciate Argentina's new trade policies, though.