ARGENTINA: Scrapping Tariffs on Cellphones & more – 15th May 2025

¡Buenos días from Greenway Parks! This is the Rorshok Argentina Update from the 15th of May twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Argentina.

On Tuesday the 13th, the government announced plans to scrap import tariffs on mobile phones and cut taxes on a range of electronics to make devices more affordable and curb smuggling and theft. Manuel Adorni, the presidential spokesperson, said the cellphone tariff will be halved as soon as the new decree is published, and fully removed by January twenty twenty-six.

Internal taxes on phones, TVs, and air conditioners—whether imported or made in the southern Tierra del Fuego province, where many electronic goods are assembled—will also drop. The administration says this move could slash consumer prices by 30%, and called Argentina’s current tech costs absurd compared to other countries.

While consumers welcome the price relief, Gustavo Melella, the governor of Tierra del Fuego, pushed back. He called it a serious blow to the province’s tech industry and warned it could hurt jobs and local development.

Speaking of resistance, the Senate rejected the Ficha Limpia or Clean Slate bill by just one vote after a marathon debate. The Ficha Limpia bill would’ve banned politicians with corruption convictions from running for office. Critics saw the proposal as targeting former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who faces a confirmed graft conviction.

Milei supported the bill and lashed out at lawmakers who voted it down. However, some suspect his party might have secretly worked with Kirchnerism to kill it. Two senators from Misiones who usually vote with the government, for example, turned against the bill without explaining why.

For now, the bill can’t return to Congress until twenty twenty-six, and while Fernández de Kirchner hasn’t said if she’ll run in the October midterms, her allies are already celebrating what they see as a green light for a comeback.

Let’s shift to the economic front. After yet another deadlock at the Minimum Wage Council, the government stepped in and raised the minimum wage by decree, something it’s now done four times since taking office. The new wage will rise in stages from April through August, starting at 302,000 pesos (which is about 260 US dollars) per month and reaching 322,000 (about 280 US dollars), which is still well below what unions demanded.

Labor leaders pushed for more than double that amount, arguing that current wages don’t even come close to covering basic needs, especially with the poverty line for a small household now over a million pesos.

In the midst of this, President Milei did manage to notch a small but symbolic victory. Fitch Ratings bumped Argentina’s credit rating up a notch, from CCC to CCC+, thanks to signs of a faster-than-expected economic rebound. The agency credited Milei’s push to scrap currency controls, strike a new deal with the IMF, and drive down inflation. That said, the agency warned that holding onto reserves under the new currency regime won’t be easy, and borrowing abroad still comes with a high price tag.

Fitch also flagged the October midterms as a key moment that could shake up the economic outlook depending on how much political backing Milei’s agenda gets.

Perhaps the provincial elections offer a preview of what’s to come in October. On Sunday the 11th, four provinces—Salta, Jujuy, San Luis, and Chaco—held their local elections. In Salta, Governor Gustavo Sáenz’s alliance, the Salta Identity Party or Partido Identidad Salteña, dominated the provincial legislature. However, the big surprise came in the capital, where the libertarian party La Libertad Avanza claimed an unexpected victory.

In Jujuy, Governor Carlos Sadir’s UCR-led alliance secured a solid victory. La Libertad Avanza placed second. In San Luis, Governor Claudio Poggi’s coalition, Ahora San Luis, secured a decisive win over the Peronist Frente Justicialista. The libertarians came in third. Lastly, in Chacho, a coalition between Governor Leandro Zdero’s UCR and President Milei’s La Libertad Avanza won decisively, capitalizing on divisions within the Peronist ranks.

All in all, governors secured their control over local legislatures, but Milei showed noticeable growth, especially in districts with low voter turnout.

While the political landscape shifts, the country’s economic dealings are also evolving. In the latest development, China signed a deal with Argentine exporters to buy approximately 900 million dollars worth of soybeans, corn, and vegetable oil. This agreement highlights China’s effort to bypass U.S. tariffs.

Even though Argentina already supplies some soybeans and recently began exporting corn to China, this new commitment represents a significant increase in trade.

Also related to tariffs, the Trump administration has outlined a strategy for its early trade negotiations, focusing on about twenty countries, both major exporters and smaller economies. Argentina is expected to play a key role in these talks.

In other news, President Milei has filed criminal complaints against journalists Carlos Pagni, Viviana Canosa, and Ari Lijalad, accusing them of defamation and spreading false information that damaged his reputation. Pagni and Lijalad allegedly compared Milei to Adolf Hitler and Nazism, while Canosa called him a despot and an authoritarian. Milei’s legal actions argue these statements severely harmed his honor, though Pagni has denied making the specific remarks attributed to him.

On that note, a surprising discovery has emerged at the Argentine Supreme Court. Workers, while organizing archives for the upcoming creation of the court’s museum, found several boxes containing Nazi propaganda materials that local authorities seized back in nineteen forty-one. The materials, which included postcards, photographs, and notebooks, were originally shipped from the German embassy in Tokyo to Argentina during World War II.

The documents, which could provide new insights into the Nazi regime’s activities in Argentina, are now being carefully analyzed with the help of various institutions, including the AMIA Jewish community center and the Buenos Aires Holocaust Museum.

Let’s shift gears to something lighter. The twenty twenty-five Buenos Aires International Book Fair saw a 10% increase in attendance compared to last year, attracting nearly 1.24 million visitors. Among the bestsellers, El Eternauta topped the charts at Planeta's stand, followed by popular titles from authors like Daniel Lopez Rosetti and Samanta Schweblin.

On the topic of El Eternauta, the show unexpectedly triggered a surge in people reaching out to the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, asking if they might be among the hundreds of babies stolen during Argentina’s last dictatorship. In the week after the show’s release, identity inquiries jumped more than fivefold compared to the same period last year. While the show doesn’t directly touch on the dictatorship or child appropriation, the real-life tragedy of its author, Héctor Germán Oesterheld—whose daughters and unborn grandchildren disappeared during the regime—resonated deeply. Human rights groups launched a campaign alongside the show to help find Oesterheld’s missing grandchildren, and many others.

And speaking of powerful cultural ripple effects—this time with a much lighter tone—Buenos Aires just scored a big win on the global stage. The city snagged the title of twenty twenty-seven World Capital of Sport, and city officials are calling it a huge win. The European Association of Capitals and Cities of Sport picked Buenos Aires for its deep commitment to fitness, health, and community through sport. Mayor Jorge Macri made the announcement at the city’s Olympic Park, saying the recognition puts Buenos Aires in the global spotlight and could attract new investment and big-name international events.

Before we go, a reminder: the Buenos Aires City elections will be held on Sunday the 18th of May. If you’re a foreigner, you might be able to vote. The city is choosing thirty new lawmakers, and both naturalized citizens and permanent residents born abroad can take part if they meet the right conditions. Naturalized Argentines can vote like any other citizen, while permanent residents with a DNI and a city address can cast their vote for local offices, like the mayor or city legislature.

Voters must be at least sixteen and use the electronic ballot system, which involves choosing candidates on a screen and printing out their vote. Over 500,000 foreign residents are eligible this year, and the city registers them automatically once their paperwork is in order.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

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¡Nos vemos la próxima semana!