Report: Argentine president threatens to increase agricultural export tax

Buenos Aires – (dpa)


Posted on: Sunday 7 February 2021 – 7:35 PM | Last update: Sunday, February 7, 2021 – 7:35 PM

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said in an interview with “Pagina 12” newspaper that Argentina will raise taxes or curb exports soon if the agricultural industry continues to impose international prices domestically.

Fernandez would like to obtain dollars from exporting farmers, but he says they cannot claim dollar equivalent prices within the country because the cost structure is not in dollars.

Fernandez was given an example of a booming beef export to China.

And Bloomberg News quoted Fernandes as telling the newspaper that there are only two tools he prefers not to use to address the problem, namely imposing higher taxes or imposing restrictions on exports.

He noted that there is not much time to make a decision.

Fernandez announced his views in the hope of separating domestic prices from international prices.

“If the farmers do not respond, they are now warned, and the government will take matters into their own hands,” he asserted.

–