The deficit of the exchange balance in December was accentuated due to the increase in import payments

In December, for the seventh consecutive month, the exchange balance of the current account was deficient. On this occasion, in U $ S 1,114 million.

This happened because for the first time since June 2023, The exchange trade balance It was negative, at US $ 39 million, “for export charges for US $ 5,887 million, partially compensated for import payments for US $ 5,926 million, according to the Central Bank report ..

To that deficit was added A “red” of US $ 526 million in December for net expenses for “trips, tickets and other card payments”(US $ 567 million), of “other services” (US $ 161 million), “freight and insurance”, (US $ 127 million), partially compensated by net income for “professional and technical business services ”For USD 328 million.

In turn, there was a net exit of US $ 523 million in December, for net interest payments for US $ 508 million and net expenses of profits, dividends and other income abroad for US $ 15 million.

Of the US $ 523 million, US $ 196 million were payments made by the Government and the BCRA and the gross cancellations of the private sector amounted to US $ 384 million.

The BCRA report indicates that “the import payments of goods through the change market totaled USD 5,926 million, 719% above the same month of the previous year and 19% higher than those of November” and was above of the imports of FOB goods of the month, which were $ SSD 5,057 million. That is why it estimates that in December there would have been a reduction in import debt.

It is also clarified that “that on December 22 the validity of the country tax came to an end, which was 7.5% for imports of goods, for the payment of freight and transport services for import or export operations of goods, Turos of profits and dividends and repatriation of investments of non -residents. The same for the 30% rate for ticket purchases and currencies for treasurement and travel and ticket expenses ”.

In these 12 months the total payments of interest-especially those of the public sector-added US $ 12,815 million. Interest payments to the IMF added $ 3,098 million and other US $ 2,288 million to the rest of international and bilateral organizations.

On trips and other card payments added in 2024 they added US $ 8,496 million and entered equal concept US $ 2,808 million leaving a deficit of US $ 5,688 million.

International BCRA reserves in December decreased by US $ 603 million in December, ending the month at a USD 29,612 million level.

“This result was mainly explained by the fall in foreign holdings of the entities in the BCRA for US $ 1,306 million, capital cancellations of national public titles for US $ 328 million, for the fall in the dollar price in dollars Americans of the assets that make up the reserves for USD 244 million, net expenses for BCRA OPERATIONS (such as expenses for passes with China, Net Payments of Capital and Interests of Bopreal and others) for US $ 232 million “..

Those payments “They were partially compensated by the net income of capital and interest of loans from international organizations (excluding the IMF) for US $ 1,366 million and for the Net Purchasing Liquidations of the BCRA in the change market for US $ 700 million.

The report clarifies “60% of expenses for” trips, passages and other card payments “are directly canceled by customers with their own funds in foreign currency, which reduces the deficit impact of these consumptions on the change market and in International reserves ”