MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

BMW suspends car exports to Argentina because of import restrictions

Dealerships remain open but focused on service and used-car business

Argentina's economy is among the fastest-growing in the world, but that may be little consolation to the country's luxury-car fans that have lost access to the world's best-selling premium car.

Germany's BMW AG has suspended exports to Argentina because of import restrictions imposed by the government of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, a spokesman said Monday.

Currently around 700 BMW vehicles are stuck in Argentine customs waiting for delivery to customers who already ordered them.

“Due to the current situation of import restrictions, we temporarily do not deliver vehicles to Argentina as they would remain blocked at customs,” Christian Menges, corporate communications manager for BMW Group Argentina, said in an email. “New quotas will be reallocated to Argentina as soon as the situation is solved.”

Menges said BMW is in talks with the government “various options are being evaluated with the goal to restart importing vehicles as quickly as possible,“ he said.
In the meantime, BMW dealerships remain open and the company is focusing on its service and used-car business.
Menges said BMW will be able to meet demand for new vehicles on ”very short notice” when the situation changes.
Argentina has signed accords with automakers to allow them to import vehicles for sale as long as they export goods for the same value (‘dollar for dollar’). The policy is part of the government efforts to reduce the auto industry’s trade deficit.

The lack of an accord led BMW to ship about 1,000 BMW vehicles that were seized by Argentine customs to Brazil, according to Buenos Aires media reports.