CIMA accuses Argentina’s leathergoods importers of disloyal trade
13/07/2017
In terms of volume, leathergoods imports increased by 33% in the period spanning January-July 2017 compared to the same months in 2016. However, the value of the products that came into the Argentinean market in the first half of this year fell by 17.9%.
Over the six-month period this year, 18.7 million leathergoods products were imported into Argentina, compared to 14.1 million items in the same period in 2016. The total value this year was $52.6 million compared to $64.1 million a year earlier.
Reacting to these figures, CIMA president, Ariel Aguilar, said: “Clearly, what these figures show is a manoeuvre on the part of importers to bring leathergoods into Argentina at below market value. This is detrimental, not just to our domestic leathergoods sector, but also to the government because it means a reduction in revenues.”
Mr Aguilar also pointed out that from having 406 companies in Argentina registered as leathergoods importers in December 2015, the figure today is 760. He said that, during this time in which 364 new leathergoods importers have come into the market, 50 locally owned factories and workshops have closed down at the cost of 1,000 jobs.
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