Via WaPo: Argentine Export Policy Hits a Roadblock
For the past two weeks, Argentina’s agricultural producers have been on strike, protesting export taxes on soybeans that have jumped from about 27 percent to more than 40 percent since Fernández de Kirchner took office in December. Argentina is the world’s third-largest exporter of soybeans, behind the United States and Brazil.
Farmers and their supporters have blocked roads and ports throughout the country, and some supermarkets have run out of such staples as beef and milk. The shortages have dragged the whole country into the fray.
In a speech to the nation late Tuesday, Fernández de Kirchner ruled out the possibility of government concessions. The higher taxes are designed to keep more agricultural products in Argentina, protecting domestic supply and curbing inflation. The increased revenue would pay for infrastructure improvements, she said.
And so the game of chicken is on. Who will blink first, the government or the farmers? Given that the farmers’ actions are directly affecting the population by keeping food off the shelves in Argentina, I am going to bet on the farmers.
Boz has more on the subject here.
March 29th, 2024 at 9:39 am
[...] Here’s a follow-up to a story I noted earlier in the week. [...]