THE Chamber of official car importers and distributors (Cidoa) asked the government of Javier Milei to strong change in the commercial policy of zero kilometer vehicles: he argued that Argentina 35% to 20% lower import tariffs for “extra-zone” vehicles, i.e. those produced mainly in Europe, United States and Far East.
“Cidoa celebrates the new air of freedom that is announcing itself in the country, and hopes so restrictions are removed and better conditions so that both the importation of cars and the choice of brands and the purchase of units by consumers can develop within a framework of freedom, compatible with healthy competition,” said the presiding body Ugo Belcastro.
The Cidoa Chamber brings together vehicle importers who They don’t have a factory in Argentina: luxury brands like Ferrari also commercial vehicles of Chinese origin DFSK. For the most part it is local entrepreneurs who have the representation of the brand in Argentina.
The brands represented are Porsche, BMW, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo and Mini (Europe), Mac (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA), Isuzu, Suzuki and Subaru (Japan), Hyundai and Kia (South Korea)) e BAIC, Foton, Chery, DFSK, Lifan, Jac, Geely, Great Wall, Haval and Hangal (China).
Cidoa importers had little or no space during the Frente de Todos government: with the tightening of the exchange rate, import authorizations (through SIMI first and SIRA from October 2022) decreased year after year. At the end of 2019 the Cidoa brands had a 7% of the market of vehicles 0km and currently do not exceed 3%.
In fact, all vehicle importsboth those of the Cidoa brands and those of the Automobile Manufacturers Association (ADEFA) have been limited due to lack of dollars: on a market of approximately 440,000 zero kilometer units in 2023, barely a third was of imported origin. In recent decades, until 2019, the supply equation in local dealerships The opposite had happened.
Paradoxically, during 2023 some of the importers who crashed through the dollar window at the Central Bank’s official price found themselves with an unexpected opportunity when former minister Sergio Massa enabled the yuan “swap” to pay in yuan the import of Chinese vehicles. , at a parity equivalent to that of the official dollar. But beyond the “summer” generated in the first weeks, the Chinese “swap”. it also hit the ceiling.
“Currently the companies associated with Cidoa complement each other with a small participationthe supply of units imported from the seven multinational factories grouped in ADEFA,” the entity added. “Cidoa’s aspiration is to once again complement the local offering without restrictions or discriminationoffering the market units of the latest technological generation in every sense, road safety, environmental protection and comfort, including hybrid and electric cars.”
Strictly speaking, there are 13 companies in ADEFA, not 7. Although some are part of international alliances (Stellantis, Renault-Nissan), in the country they are managed as independent companies, each with its own CUIT.
But beyond the number of members, Cidoa’s statement aimed at tariff difference which divides the members of the two Chambers.
“It is necessary to review and adapt with equality criteria both import tariffs and internal taxes applied to the sector,” said Cidoa. According to their numbers, in 2023 they were imported 135,000 vehicles produced in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Uruguay, which they entered with zero tariff. Meanwhile, during 2023, the “extra-zone” cars that paid the 35% tariff ran out. there were only 15,000 (3% of the market).
“Reduction of the extra-zone tariff to 20% A rebalancing would be achieved whereby 60,000 units coming from outside the area would enter by paying 20%, which would lead to a greater collection, given that More is collected by charging 20% of 60,000 cars compared to 35% of 15,000“said the entity.
Argentina has zero tariff agreements for both the import and export of vehicles with countries in the Mercosur (Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, although the latter has no vehicle production) and also quotas zero tariff with Mexico and Colombia.
With the rest of the “extra-zone” countries, a tariff of 35% is applied, established in the Economic Complementation Agreement no. 14 (Ace 14) signed between Argentina and Brazil and which is complemented by the common automotive policy (PAC) that both countries have been renewing since 2000, the latest revision of which It is valid until 2029.
Cidoa’s claim made no mention of these international agreements, but questioned and called for their modification hard corewhich are the rates applied to vehicles coming from outside the area.
“It should also be considered that an increase in extra-area supply will allow the entry of vehicles with latest generation and safer equipmentwhich will encourage the modernization of the current vehicle fleet, to the benefit of consumers,” the Chamber added.
Source: Clarin
