Mensajepor Mr_Baca » Vie Ene 13, 2012 7:43 pm
DJ Argentina Seeks To Raise Trade Barriers On 100 Imported Goods
13-Ene-2012
OF DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
BUENOS AIRES (Dow Jones)--Industry Minister Debora Giorgi on Friday asked local business leaders to help her develop a list of up to 100 imports that should be subject to greater trade barriers, including a 35% tariff.
Giorgi discussed the plan in a meeting with representatives from companies in the electronics, plastic and glass industries, according to a statement issued by the ministry late Friday.
In the meeting, Giorgi said she wants to know which imports businesses need for their production processes and which products should face higher import barriers.
"We have to find the best means to defend national industry through the [common Mercosur] tariff, non-automatic licenses or anti-dumping measures," Giorgi said. "These tools are going to give us very good results and make industry more competitive."
Giorgi said that once the government has a definitive list of imports, it will share the list with other members of the South American customs union, or Mercosur, for their consideration.
Mercosur's founding members include Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Mercosur allows each of its members to place tariffs of up to 35% on 100 goods, the statement said.
If Mercosur members don't oppose the new tariffs, the products will automatically face the 35% rate.
Among other goods, the ministry said it will likely raise tariffs on transformers, electric motors and other machines.
When deciding which companies to help, the government will give priority to those that offer "convincing" proposals to invest, lower prices, create jobs, export, supply the local market and produce goods that can be credible substitutes for foreign-made products, according to the statement.
The government is giving the companies just one week to submit their proposals to the Industry Ministry and the Commerce Secretariat, according to the statement.
The ministry's initiative come as part of a broader government bid to reduce imports and ration the U.S. dollars used to pay for them.
Earlier this week, the government said all importers will have to file a sworn affidavit with the tax agency before importing goods. The affidavit will be shared with other agencies that have the power to block imports.
Analysts say the measure will effectively give the government almost total control over the legal flow of imports entering South America's second-largest economy.
Tus dichos tendrían cierto asidero si uno que invirtió en acciones en el 2011 dice que ganó pero no para los inversores en cupones.