Around 15,000 imported cars parked in Zarate port for authorisation as Argentina economic crisis deepen

« The Argentina’s main port terminal Zarate from which vehicles are exported is overwhelmed by imported cars pending for govt’s authorisation to enter the country. According to media sources, the terminal has accumulated up to 15,000 vehicles.
The aerial footage filmed on Saturday shows brand new cars parked in dense rows on the territory of the terminal, which is regarded as the main port for the foreign trade of the automotive industry.
The entry of imported cars has been performed smoothly in the country till April through SIRA import regulation system. However, the automakers received the authorisation to nationalise units only on the last day of that month. From that point on the delays started, and the income was not allowed due to the lack of dollars in the country.
According to local media, the automakers have made an agreement with the Government on Tuesday to freeze the prices for some models till October 31. Thus, Volkswagen, Toyota, Ford, Nissan, Renault and a number of other brands will place a model in the Fair Prices program, which will not vary for at least two months.
« At the direction of Minister Sergio Massa, we reached an agreement with the automotive companies so that each terminal selects a 0 km model that will maintain its fixed price until October 31, » confirmed the head of Commerce, Matias Tombolini, in a message published in his Twitter account.
However, in return, the Government demanded to release the units stuck in Zarate, as the sector faced the lack of vehicles for sale.
Up to date, according to media sources, due to the lack of dollars in the country, 65 percent of the vehicles sold in the domestic market are made in Argentina. The rest amount of vehicles is imported from abroad, with Brazil acting as the main supplier and contributing 28 percent of the total.
The current situation in Zarate port is not unprecedented. Last year 30,000 vehicles have been stuck in terminal for over a month, a period that coincided with the change of the previous import regime called SIMI for the current SIRA. »



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