Economy & Business - July 2004

The pressure on Argentina's government to introduce quotas on Brazilian-made white goods has alarmed Brazil. Just before the Mercosur summit at the beginning of July, the Argentine government quietly announced that it would not issue immediate import licences for Brazilian-made white goods. The point of this decision is to slow down imports of white goods such as washing machines, tumble-dryers and fridges. The Unión Industrial Argentina (UIA), which speaks for industry, claims that its members cannot compete with Brazilian-made products.