MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentina opens its market to US pork products
Argentina has agreed to allow imports of U.S. pork products for the first time since 1992, the White House said in a statement on Thursday. “Today’s announcement is a big win for American pork producers and proves that President Trump is getting real results for America’s farmers and ranchers,” said Vice President Pence. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesI would have thought the US was allowing Saudi Arabia to corner the market on this item, neither with their knowledge nor their consent...
Aug 20th, 2017 - 08:45 pm - Link - Report abuse -2“ [Peronist] Argentina had blocked imports of U.S. pork, citing animal health concerns. ...”
Aug 21st, 2017 - 04:38 am - Link - Report abuse +2Just as [Peronist] Argentina blocked imports of US books and magazines, citing “ health concerns” ..... And blocked imports of a great deal of other products, with varying excuses.
Not long ago, the Macri government reminded argentines and residents of the serious nations that “Argentina is the world's most closed country.” That's a bit of an exaggeration, since there is stiff competition with North Korea. But there is an element of truth in it. Actually, the comment about Argentina being a “closed country” referred to the low level of international trade, brought about by the “vivir con lo nuestro” madness that has resulted in non-competitive national industries that famously - as a general rule - produce low-quality shite at high prices for a captive, protectionist regimen. For 2015, the percentages of imports+exports as a percentage of GNP was about 23 percent, just above Nigeria. (Mexico - very successful in international trade - is at over 70 percent). The average for the world is about 58 percent. Now, if the country [Argentina] will take the necessary measures to become productive and competitive in more than a few tiny niche markets. Maybe in a couple of decades, when the stink of peronism has been cleansed from the land.
Léalo y llore:
”Argentina es el país más cerrado del mundo”
http://www.elintransigente.com/politica/2017/5/4/argentina-pais-cerrado-mundo-434954.html
Well good luck with that. What did we give up to get that gem? Argentines do not eat pork, as bifsteak is engrained in the culture. I do not expect sales to be as great as the US evidently expects. If this is all Trump can do, must be a slow news day.
Aug 21st, 2017 - 02:13 pm - Link - Report abuse -3The consumption of beef here has been declining, particularly since the Kirchners did all they could to damage the beef industry and generate outrageous prices for beef. Pork imports grew considerably in 2016 and helped produce the highest-ever consumption of pork per capita in the last 15 or so years. Pork now represents about 1/4 of the meat consumed here.
Aug 21st, 2017 - 03:26 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Pork production in the country was up about 6 percent for 2016 versus 2015. Pork retail prices in 2016 went up about 25%, less than overall inflation, but beef increased by about 40%. Beef consumption fell about 8%.
Nice picture, Trollboy!
Aug 21st, 2017 - 04:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0---
“Mexico - very successful in international trade”
Hmmm. GDP per capita Mexico, US$8,200. GDP per capita Argentina, US$12,450. Median HH income Mexico $11,680, median HH income Argentina $14,432.
I guess trade is not everything.
No, trade is not “everything.” But the lack of trade by Argentina is one of the reasons its economy is habitually a disaster. Nations with high levels of international trade tend to have more successful economies than Argentina. But there are so many other reasons why Argentina's economy continues to be, shall we say, suboptimal. And the “closed-nation” mentality of peronismo is probably one of the most important factors in its poor performance.
Aug 21st, 2017 - 06:07 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Now let's talk about the increasing percentages of pig meat in the argie diet -- the subject of the news item.
I am certain that Kirchner was part of the changing taste for pork, as attested to here :
Aug 21st, 2017 - 11:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.argentinaindependent.com/currentaffairs/latest-news/newsfromargentina/president-cristina-fernandez-de-kirchner-pork-better-than-viagra-give-it-a-go/
I am also sure Chopper had no clue about this...
We are deeply moved by the sight of green shoots finally beginning to appear as a result of the efforts of the current Argentina administration.
Aug 22nd, 2017 - 03:42 am - Link - Report abuse -2No doubt purchasing pork from the U.S. is one of the first results of Mauricio Macri's clever strategy to pay the vultures, which allowed this brilliant “return of Argentina to the world,” a strategy that will, at last, improve our balance of payments and allow the country to become part of the chosen ones.
Apparently, in exchange for opening its doors wide to the no doubt high-quality U.S. pork, the northern country will finally accept to purchase lemons from Argentina, showcasing the sophistication of our export sector and the abilities of our shrewd negotiators.
No wonder Martillazo, chief lecturer on all things Argentina has approved the move, reminding us of the sad state the country was in before team Macri jumped to the rescue.
Dear Marti has now forgiven Argentina for being a permanent failure and has apparently forgotten his apocalyptic predictions of looming default and that “Argentina will go nowhere as long as it's governed by Argentines.” No doubt he has been buoyed by the recent visit to Argentina of VP Mike Pence and by U.S. pork industry praise and cheers.
If only we had thought of this before.
I think the days have passed for “Argentina .....bla bla bla....largest per capita consumption of beef... bla bla bla.” It looks now as though the US, Australia, and even Israel have higher beef consumption. That puts Argentina in 4th place. But that is actually a good thing since some of the alternatives are healthier.
Aug 22nd, 2017 - 03:57 am - Link - Report abuse +2The KK played a significant role in the fall of the Argentina beef industry as well as decreasing domestic consumption. In 2005, the country was the world’s third largest meat exporter, with 25 per cent of its production to 70 countries. By 2013 it had fallen to 11th place. And speaking of international trade, even little Paraguay now exports more beef than Argentina.
By 2016 Argentina dropped again in the rankings, to 12th place, but the current government policies here are encouraging beef exports and so this trend may turn around. But Argentine beef isn't what it used to be. The feed-lot practices have taken hold, though haven't completely taken over.
“..Paraguay now exports more beef than Argentina.”
Aug 22nd, 2017 - 04:27 am - Link - Report abuse 0Just like in the days of “El Supremo.” Funny!
@imoyaro
Aug 22nd, 2017 - 08:59 am - Link - Report abuse 0“Luis Uccelli, supported the presidential remarks, saying that Denmark and Japan have a much more “harmonious” sexual life then the Argentines because they eat a lot of pig meat.”
“Japan” “harmonious sex life”. What the what?!
@ML
That's not the subject of the article. I was wondering what Macri got in return for allowing the entrance of US pork, but apparently it was lemons.
“Luis Uccelli, supported the presidential remarks, saying that Denmark and Japan have a much more “harmonious” sexual life then the Argentines because they eat a lot of pig meat.”
Aug 22nd, 2017 - 12:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It's clear that while the Japanese know their way around pork,(Tonkatsu is a favorite,) the individual quoted knows nothing about Japanese society/culture. Just another “quotable quote.”
With my regrets for not commenting on imoyaro's interesting topic, I'd like to counter Marti's even more irrelevant, off-topic chat about beef's consumption in Argentina.
Aug 22nd, 2017 - 11:13 pm - Link - Report abuse -2The elephant in the room here is the absolute disregard of the Macri administration for fiscal prudence.
Argentina has now imported nothing else but dulce de leche and yerba mate--not big amounts though. Much larger amounts of potatoes, sweet potatoes, oranges, peas, frozen fruit, strawberries, raisins, carrots and much more.
This, of course, adds to more commonly imported parts and manufacturing components. Some economists, of course, worry about this bleeding of valuable currency while at the same time hurting regional economies and local workers who produce those items.
It may be that Macri has an urgent desire to help other economies to get rid of those difficult-to-export items.
Let's hope those countries, including the U.S., remember all of that when Argentina reaches its next payment crisis.
We are sure they will rush to our help.
Meanwhile, biodiesel exports. Biodiesel is evidently Argentina's biggest export item to the US. Or was. Turns out that Argentina has been providing inappropriate subsidies (selling below production costs and/or receiving government subsidies for feedstock ) in order to sell at low prices in the US. As in “dumping.” So the US ( U.S. International Trade Commission ) called for a tariff of about 60 percent on Argentine biodiesel, which would pretty much put an end to those exports. The illegal trade practice was a brainchild of the Kirchner government.
Aug 23rd, 2017 - 05:01 am - Link - Report abuse +1@EM
Aug 23rd, 2017 - 10:10 am - Link - Report abuse 0I don't really understand your objection to this. Macri is hardly forcing anyone to import food; do you want him to effectively subsidise Argentina's agro-industry by putting tariffs on food imports? This would raise prices for consumers in Argentina so they would be the ones paying in the end.
If it costs more to grow food in Argentina, then it would be much better to try and lower costs for growers to solve the problem directly. This would also increase their ability to export as well as sell in the domestic market.
@imoyaro
Evidently.
tree: “ ...effectively subsidise Argentina's agro-industry by putting tariffs on food imports?...”
Aug 23rd, 2017 - 02:02 pm - Link - Report abuse +2Or maybe follow the Peronist model and ban the export of food and then require that it be sold below production cost on the domestic market. Now there is a winning solution. And one that led to the decimation of the Argentine beef industry in recent years, and why pork has become a larger part of the diet here.
Léalo y llore:
“ Argentina provides a lesson in how to ruin a beef industry” (note from 2013, explaining Kirchner economic wisdom, how CFK handicapped Argentine producers and unwittingly created enormous economic advantages for other nations.
” In 2005, Argentina’s ranchers and farmers produced more than 3.1 million tons of beef, exporting some 745,000 metric tons (mt) to the world market. Argentina was the third-largest beef-exporting country (behind Brazil and Australia) in the world in 2005. And, by the way, it exported all this beef while also supplying the needs of its people – who had the second-highest annual beef consumption rate in the world at more than 136 lbs./person. ... U.S. beef exports in 2005 were 472,668 mt, and U.S. per-capita beef consumption that year was 94 lbs./person...... USDA reports that Argentina exported only 164,000 mt of beef in 2012, slipping to 11th place as a global beef exporter. Per-capita beef consumption has declined to 121 lbs./year. And during those same seven years, U.S. beef exports have increased from 472,668 mt to more than 1.13 million mt.”
http://www.beefmagazine.com/beef-exports/argentina-provides-lesson-how-ruin-beef-industry
@ML
Aug 23rd, 2017 - 05:15 pm - Link - Report abuse -2Only days after Argentina opened wide its doors to U.S. pork, the northern country pays back by applying a 57-per-cent tariff to biodiesel imports representing 25-per-cent of total Argentine exports to the U.S.
And what our lecturer-in-chief on all things Argentina has to say?
“Biodiesel...Argentina has been providing inappropriate subsidies...to sell at low prices in the US.”
As reported by Clarin, the Argentine Chamber of Biofuels said the alleged subsidies are “inexistent.”
However, as everybody knows, “you cannot trust Argentines.”
And so, Marti quickly settled the matter--Trump's tariff is fair. That is not surprising. What's surprising is his follow-up post with numbers galore about the beef situation and how -OMG! - bad Kirchnerists were on the subject.
Is ML's post to divert attention from biodiesel? Or is ML telling us, 'look, Macri is not as clumsy, the Ks were worse off--look at what they did with beef!'
ML: You have already given us your verdict: Argentina “dumped” biodiesel on the U.S. Thank you for your clarity.
https://www.clarin.com/rural/rechazan-bloqueo-unidos-biodiesel-argentino_0_BJnwAM5db.html
Ridiculous reekie: “Only days after Argentina opened wide its doors to U.S. pork, the northern country pays back by applying a 57-per-cent tariff to biodiesel imports...”
Aug 23rd, 2017 - 06:03 pm - Link - Report abuse +2No, reekie. Read the words, and try mightily to understand just this once.
”....the US ( U.S. International Trade Commission ) called for a tariff ...“ As in, ”preliminary decision.” That is, the evidence presented after months of investigation indicates that the US OUGHT TO APPLY a tariff (of up to about 64 percent) for Argentine biodiesel. Perhaps reekie is reading some of those silly argie media stories that announce the invented fact of airplane purchases when in reality there is nothing more than preliminary negotiations and no purchase at all.
As of April this year, there was evidence that the dumping margin for Argentine biodiesel for export to the US was as high as 26 percent.
In April of this year the US Federal Register noted that evidence of unlawful trade practices and dumping had been discovered from SOURCES WITHIN ARGENTINA (a suggestion that, since this practice had been going on since 2014 and by April 2017 the findings were already well established, that there is unlikely to be any significant connection between the biodiesel issue, pig meat, and lemons, which involve quite different circumstances). To wit,
“We have assessed the allegations and supporting evidence regarding material injury, threat of material injury, and causation, and we have determined that these allegations are properly supported by adequate evidence, and meet the statutory requirements for initiation [of the procedure for full investigation, responses, and possible punitive tariffs] ” (US Federal Register, April 2017). Argentina was given the opportunity to respond to the findings.
Note the “if” here, reekie:
“If import duties are imposed, it will make biodiesel imports more expensive ....” (FT note today)
Ohhhh, so in Martillazo's assessment, “the U.S. OUGHT TO APPLY a tariff...for Argentine biodiesel.”
Aug 23rd, 2017 - 08:18 pm - Link - Report abuse -3My bad! Perhaps it's my fault for reading those “silly argie media stories.”
So let's read one of those trustworthy anglophone media reports. I wonder whether Marti would find Reuters is silliness-vaccinated:
”Argentine biodiesel exporters said shipments could be halted after Washington DECIDED (emphasis mine) on Tuesday to impose duties on imports it said were unfairly subsidized.
“The U.S. Commerce Department WILL impose...” etc.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biodiesel-argentina-idUSKCN1B22GM
Now, what the “silly argie media stories” say? Let's see Clarin again:
”The Departamento de Comercio de Estados Unidos decided yesterday (Aug. 22) to apply strong tariffs of between 50,29% and 64,17% to Argentine biodiesel...the measure, although provisional until final decision, WILL paralyze shipments to the U.S.
This deals a blow to Argentine producers, because our country sends biodiesel for $1.2 billion, making it the main export item to that country.“
But I am sure this is all the fruit of ”K“ conspirations to just make appear free-market champion Mauricio Macri as a sad clown.
@DT
”Do you want (Macri) to effectively subsidise Argentina's agro-industry by putting tariffs on food imports? This would raise prices for consumers in Argentina...”
Opening wide Argentina to imports is one-if not the main-tool president Macri uses to lower inflation. This was done in Argentina in the past, and especially during Videla's dictatorship in the 1970s.
Firstly, consumer prices are not going down because of cheaper imports. It never did in the past either, therefore inflation keeps going.
When used in conjunction with other politics such as massive foreign borrowing that does not increase the country's capacity to reimburse, it inevitably leads to foreign-debt spiralling out of control, leading to another payments crisis as in the past.
We're beginning to understand your comprehension problems, reekie. And your preferred choice of unreliable or misleading (i.e., Argentine) sources. Let's talk slowly here so that you might have a better chance of understanding.
Aug 23rd, 2017 - 10:42 pm - Link - Report abuse +2The US Department of Commerce is in the process of antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations surrounding biodiesel from Argentina. Again, it is still *in the process* of those investigations and determinations regarding tariffs of about 60 percent have not reached the final stage. Got that?
In the meantime, given the history of historically dubious and characteristically dodgy Argentine trade practices, unless countermanded in the near future, there will likely be a provisional cash deposit (not tariff) requirement for biodiesel imported to the US from Argentina. If the results of the investigations determine that there is no fault by Argentina in regards to dumping and improper subsidies, the cash deposits can be returned. At this point there is only an allegation of dumping and improper subsidies, at about 26 percent and “above de minimus” for those two categories. I realise this may be hard for you to understand, so you may wish to find someone who can help you.
The US Department of Commerce is not expected to provide its final determinations until later this year, and if the outcome is not convenient for Argentine biodiesel exporters (affirmative determinations from Commerce) then the issuance of orders for the anti-dumping tariff is expected in early January 2018, according to the schedule published by the US International Trade Administration.
By the way, when Argentine representatives were asked to respond to evidence of dumping and improper subsidies, its defence based its arguments that Commerce had not collected enough evidence, and that US biodiesel companies hadn't been sufficiently harmed by Argentine practices - rather than substantially disputing the dumping charges.
@EM
Aug 23rd, 2017 - 11:35 pm - Link - Report abuse -1Firstly, since Macri has removed tariffs on both import and export of foods, both should increase, so it's not necessarily going to cause a trade imbalance. Argentina is traditionally a net exporter of food, so the numbers are likely to come out in its favour.
Secondly, no one imports goods out of a malicious desire to undermine the economy. Either they are cheaper than the ones grown in Argentina, or simply out of season there. How do you know whether prices have fallen or not? Since inflation has finally started dropping, that suggests Macri's plan may be working (even if it has unpleasant side-effects).
In the past you have opposed the removal of export tariffs which harmed the Argentine Agro-industry and reduced the amount of foreign currency coming into the country, yet now you are objecting to removal of import tariffs because they will harm the Argentine Agro-industry and lead to a loss of foreign currency. How is that remotely consistent?
As for Marti's diodiesel nonsense, this seems to have a good description of what is really going on. It's more complicated than Reuters made it appear, and could be even worse as they want to backdate the penalties:
http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2017/08/23/us-slaps-argentine-indonesian-biodiesel-producers-with-huge-anti-dumping-penalties/
How Argentina justifies its unlawful trade practices, using the classic “ we-didn't-steal-that-much” defence:
Aug 24th, 2017 - 02:13 am - Link - Report abuse +1“ In written comments to the International Trade Commission, the Argentine government said the petition was based on 'extremely limited' information and actually shows the U.S. industry was hardly harmed. Argentina makes the case that U.S. producers never made a claim that imported biodiesel actually hurt profits. In addition, the government argues U.S. producers alone were unable to fulfill the Renewable Fuel Standard volume requirements from 2014 to 2016.”
The reason that the provisional duties are to be made retroactive is because once the complaint was filed with the US Department of Commerce, the Argentine biodiesel producers actually accelerated their deliveries to the US in an attempt to maximise their apparently ill-gotten profit before the anti-dumping tariffs would go into effect next year. The principal Argentine companies affected include Vicentin S.A.I.C. and LDC Argentina, S.A. The producers here are evidently convinced of their own guilt and there are indications that they will halt shipments to the US and avoid the escrowed deposits. Had they been confident of findings in their favour, they could have continued their exports and received refunds if the final Commerce determination were to show that their shady practices were permissible. Good luck with that.
There is significant history related to Argentine biodiesel dumping. In January 2016, the Peruvian government imposed anti-dumping tariffs on biodiesel imported from Argentina.
And you thought the Macri government was dropping or reducing all those export taxes on agro products? In February last year, the government more than doubled the export duty on biodiesel. (The Kirchner government had imposed suspiciously low export tariffs on biodiesel). The unpredictable nature of such export taxes makes it hard for producers to do long-term planning here.
DT:
Aug 24th, 2017 - 07:09 am - Link - Report abuse -3Oh, I now see where you are coming from.
Analysing the status of extensive and intensive Argentine products would require some space not available here. However, I can say I generally agreed with the Kirchners' policies while I believe Macri is just benefitting a narrow sector of the population.
Of course, the effects will take some time to be felt, but older people like me have seen this before--more than once. However, nothing would make me happier than being wrong and that Macri brings prosperity to Argentina.
@EM
Aug 24th, 2017 - 11:53 am - Link - Report abuse +1I knew what you think of Macri already. :) However, just because you dislike his policies generally, it does not mean they are all bad, right? And just because you prefer CFK's policies generally does not mean they were all a good idea.
Most tariffs or subsidies could be said to benefit a narrow sector of the population.
A high tariff on the import of electronics benefits the manufacturers in TdF, but it hurts all the people who want to buy electronics. It also may hurt the shops selling them and their employees if people go to Chile to buy them instead. Maybe it's worth it if Argentina can develop it's own industry to the point the subsidies can be removed, but they should be a temporary thing.
A subsidy on gas and electricity benefits the people who receive it (mostly those in BnsArs I believe), but it hurts all taxpayers, especially when the money could have been spent on eg education instead. It hurts future citizens when the government is borrowing to fund it.
So what do you want the tariffs to achieve and how do you decide which are good and which are bad?
“ Scandinavian-level taxes, African-level services” That is the nature of this country.
Aug 24th, 2017 - 02:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You're catching on, tree. Slowly, but you're catching on.
The tax-and-subsidy regimen here, coupled with high trade barriers, creates an environment that discourages investment, creates nonproductive make-work “jobs” for political expedience, magnifies consumer costs, encourages off-books activity (about 5 millions here engaged in “informal” work largely to avoid oppressive taxation), and keeps most formal domestic industries from developing to a level of being competitive in a world economy. But some find it charming that better-made Chinese merchandise is preferred over the output of “Industria Argentina.”
Some observations on the tax situation that pays for those subsidies:
http://www.thebubble.com/argentine-tax-burden-on-par-with-more-developed-economies/
@Marti
Aug 24th, 2017 - 02:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0So has the 'business friendly' Macri done anything about these harmful taxes? Lowered VAT? Changed the Gross Receipts tax so products are taxed only once? Removed the cheque tax? (People still pay with cheques? I haven't written a cheque since ~2010!) Lowering VAT would help with inflation if anything would, and it benefits poor people the most.
Tree:
Aug 24th, 2017 - 09:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“ So has the 'business friendly' Macri done anything about these harmful taxes? ”
- Not really. The Macri approach has been characterised as “gradualism” since even talk of economic reforms drives the rabble into frothy protests of tyre-burning and rock-tossing. There is an enormous public expenditure burden that was created by Kirchnerismo and the present government can't pay for it even with the current high taxation. That's why we have high deficit spending at the moment. To reduce taxes it is necessary to reduce expenditures, and we are back to the violent riots when that is suggested. Much public spending here is simply stupid, like using millions in tax monies to pay for “free” university education for visiting chilenos and bolivians - or anybody else - when basic education for nationals is neglected. In 2015, public spending here was the highest in the region: 44% of GDP.
“ Lowered VAT? ” Are you kidding? That's a regressive tax, to be maintained at all costs. Well, books are exempt from IVA (that's VAT to you). In fact, you can publish or import pornography and call it “art” and keep the IVA exemption. Except the CFK government got around the “law for promotion of books and reading” for imported books by making their importation essentially forbidden, by claiming that they contained toxic inks (the same inks used by the domestic publishers, but no matter). Apartment rents, medicines, certain essential food products, some services, and “cultural events” are exempt from IVA.
“Changed the Gross Receipts tax so products are taxed only once? ” You're new to Argentina, aren't you?
”Removed the cheque tax? (People still pay with cheques? I haven't written a cheque since ~2010!) “ You've clearly never been to Argentina, nor would you be able to understand it. 90 million paper cheques a year here. (Look up the meaning of ”atrasado.”)
Commercial earnings tax of about 35% explains why you don't start a business here.
The 'rabble' would protest at having to pay less VAT? Somehow I don't think so. And Macri HAS been lowering taxes without reducing expenditure; he removed the ones on exports entirely. If he can borrow money to do that he could have borrowed money to reduce the taxes that most affect the general population instead.
Aug 24th, 2017 - 09:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Do people still publish pornography? I thought everyone got it from the web these days. Also please tell me that no IVA was charged on electricity and gas bills...
Even if I had been to Argentina, the only cheques I might have used are traveller's cheques. They're hardly a common payment method for tourists. Can you pay by debit card in Argentina?
Tree, the reduction of taxes on certain agro exports does nothing for the rabble except provide a tiny bit of employment opportunity in those industries associated with the agricultural rubro. Hardly an across-the-board impact. Economic reforms that result in freer trade do expose the poor viability of those archaic business that are non-competitive and have been sucking on the public teat for support, and the peronist syndicates do get the rabble aroused over perceived job losses that result. The subsidies for gas and electricity have been costing the national government billions of dollars a year, and even with the small rate increases recently those services are still provided at some of the lowest costs in the region. But what is really needed is for the government to shed several thousand do-nothing public employees and many of the counterproductive “ social plans.” You can't go on for long borrowing at high interest rates to pay for subsidies.
Aug 24th, 2017 - 11:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Tree: “ please tell me that no IVA was charged on electricity and gas bills...”
--- Ha ha ha.....21% IVA is charged for gas, electricity, telephone, internet, and water bills.
Bring your debit card and pay high fees for ATM use and foreign currency exchange. And don't be surprised to find that many business establishments or other payment points won't take your plastic. Some will take locally issued cards but will refuse foreign cards. You'll soon learn that you need a thick wad of dirty bills to get along. Buying fuel can be guesswork. One day cards are accepted and a week later you try and they're not accepted. Some payment points will require that you show identification when using a credit or debit card. On the little paper you sign when using a card you are expected to write in your DNI. And you don't have one.
Related Reuters note yesterday
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-argentina-economy-manufacturing-analy-idUSKCN1B40BG
Yes, that was exactly my point. If Macri can afford to reduce taxes that don't have a broad impact, he could afford to reduce those that do instead.
Aug 25th, 2017 - 09:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0Gas and electricity are both taxed and subsidised at the same time? How does that work? And what are these social plans you so dislike?
Macri said he was going to reduce the number of public sector employees and hasn't. It's quite possible that in order to lower them you need to reduce the work they have to do by reducing bureaucracy first.
Tree: “ Gas and electricity are both taxed and subsidised at the same time? How does that work?”
Aug 25th, 2017 - 02:29 pm - Link - Report abuse +1It works in that most argentine of ways.
‘Argentina has highest tax burden in its history’
http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/185417/%E2%80%98argentina-has-highest-tax-burden-in-its-history%E2%80%99
For some insight into the relationship between Kirchnerist social plans and Kirchnerist corruption, consider the town in Córdoba with a reported 320 inhabitants but paid benefits for some 480 cases of “handicaps.” Now multiply that effect by similar welfare abuses around the country.
And how does peronismo keep their members “employed” in public service jobs? Well, among the devious ways is to create a local law requiring the sort of nepotism that might be at home in tribal Africa. That is, a statute that required a publicly funded job to be filled by a member of the family of someone retiring or otherwise leaving that job.
Tree: “....you need to reduce the work they have to do...”
Work? You don't seem to understand the nature of argentine bureaucracy. In the serious nations, “work” involves the production of valuable goods and services.
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