A new car, a liter of gasoline, a dress or a simple hamburger have something in common: they are more expensive in Argentina than in New York, Santiago and Lima.
In Argentina, a liter of gasoline is 75 percent more expensive than in New York, a new car costs 50% more than in Chile and a first-brand jean has the double price in Lima. These data on an analysis made by Marcos Hilding Olson for the Fundación Libertad y Progreso.
«Comparing Buenos Aires with other capitals of the world, you can see more than consumer goods, sea clothes or shoes, in Argentina cost 40% more than cities like Lima or Santiago, and also 30% more expensive than in New York, «the report said.
«The problem, not only economic prices, but is a reality directly affects the quality of life,» the report says.
Asked by El Cronista, Hilding Ohlsson comments: «While the things that were improved in terms of trade liberalization, such as the elimination of the dollar stall, the reduction of tariffs on tablets and technological products, the elimination of DJAIs and The implementation of the Foreign Trade Window, some tariff and para-tariff barriers persist that continue to increase the cost of import. »
Import tariffs may be as high as 35% depending on the product, but Ohlssons pantry, which the importers consulted to produce the report, «highlight other types of shields when importing, for example the number of paperwork in The Customs, which come to include the approvals of different laboratories for the components of the same product and often the container in the port.
As an example, «in Chile, 270 models of electric saws are imported, while in Argentina only 70,» says Ohlsson and comments: «The difference is that in our country we ask for approval for the mountains, another one for the Antiparra and another for the helmet, which are part of the same kit «.
Not all products listed in the Foundation comparison are imported, but are taken as a reference because the same model is marketed in different parts of the world.
Asked about why a product that while manufactured under foreign license, such as hamburgers, but is made with ingredients and local labor, may cost more than the rest of the world, says Ohlsson «Tax cost , And therefore, labor, play a fundamental role.
«The case of gasoline is in particular because the price of oil used to refine is more expensive than that paid on the international market. This measure was adopted by the government for the cheaper price of the local barrel, but the Differential end it paying users, «concluded Ohlsson.
