Details are being finalized to import 10,000 cars without tariffs from the United States

The trade pact had been in the works since April, more than a year ago, and detailed a series of sectors where a “tariff reduction for key industries would be applied, increasing bilateral trade between both countries.”

Which is it? It talks about “preferential access to U.S. markets for exports of goods, including certain drugs, chemicals, machinery, information technology products, medical devices, motor vehicles and a wide range of agricultural products.

In the case of vehicles, that mention almost seven months ago is still the unique that appeared in an official document on the subject.

However, behind closed doors of the main United States brands based in Argentina (Ford, Chevrolet y Stellantis) as well as other factories of European and Asian origin with plants in that country and a manufacturing or commercial presence here (Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen) began a round of internal consultations, in both directions. The reason: to analyze the pros, cons and concrete possibilities of registering on a list of importing US-made vehicles with zero tariffs, until completing a quota of 10,000 units per year.

This supposed quota of 10,000 vehicles arose informally. However, within the business sector it is already taken for granted that this will be the figure.

As this week dawned, during a press meeting organized by the Automotive Manufacturers Association (ADEFA), sources from the sector assured that the conditions are already in place to make the formal announcement: it would be in august and would have an annual renewal, to give companies predictability in imports, supply of spare parts and training of the dealership workshops for those units.

“Everything is ready for the United States quota to be announced in August“What delayed everything was the war in the Middle East, but the parties have already negotiated the quota,” said a senior manager of the local sector on Monday.

In this way, Argentina would enable another batch of imported vehicles with zero tariffs outside of Mercosur, after the authorization of two quotas of 50,000 hybrid and electric units of up to 16,000 dollars FOB (import price), which almost entirely today are entering from China.

Cars imported from the United States point to another segment of the market, with more expensive prices and characterized by huge pickups, ultra sports cars or luxury utility vehicles for the transportation of passengers.

How much could they cost? It is very premature, since in fact the agreement is not yet in place. But due to the taxes and regulations that exist in Argentina, despite the zero tariff, Customs estimates another 30% additional to the FOB price (placed in the port, tax free), account of the Statistical rate, VAT and the dealer’s commercial margin. That could be one of the starting points.

As for models, there is an important dance of brands and models. Here are only four possible cases: