The Argentine economy, in macroeconomic terms that ceased to be a “open” type, usually measured as a percentage of the flow of all foreign trade in relation to the GDP of each country. That would give a figure close to 12% with almost 15% peaks, compared to a world average of 30%. This obeys not so much to its positioning as a self -supplied economy (as could happen with the European Union as a whole or the USA) but by the gradual closure by combining customs rates, exchange controls and barriers for tariffs. But while all this happens, companies, especially national SMEs, take note and act in the field, without so much time or resources to spend energies on the discussion of economic policy. The situation in this year is that of greater opening, unification will change de fact and a promise to release foreign trade from obstacles to facilitate the supply of inputs such as final goods. Corroborating this trend, the jump in imports of the first half of this year (34% more than the same period of 2024), Above all, it covered capital goods, parts for machinery and supplies for local production, which constituted almost three quarters of the total.
“Now we could see that we are normalizing an activity that is done without problems anywhere,”clarifies Ariel Elizalde, Country Manager for Latin America of Spanish speech positive. 17 years ago, the firm had entered the market through a joint venture with BGH, for the manufacture of IT products: notebooks, tablets, etc. Now, they took a turn with the production of cell phones, mid -range smartphones with a manufacturing contract in Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego. In addition, the rest of the “vertical” of the group imports directly: POS devices for payment through blockchain technology, encouraged by the exponential growth of remote payments by “contactless” phones and cards. Also, they bring LED lighting systems, home distance control systems, state -of -the -art cameras, common in homes, health institutions and small businesses. “Positive uses a differential strategy: there are products that do should matter, that do not develop here because they are very low price, almost all generated in an environment with very large scale demands”, complete.
In the case of Beatriz Macaya, CEO of Thar Sadistributor of Themomix and Kobold In Argentina and Uruguay, the star product (Thermomix cooking robots) It was growing in acceptance and although it has a niche of selective public, it was building a direct marketing network that reaches more than 1,200 people. This is a key fact because the range of products offered precise knowledge support and an argument based on experience to specify sales. It will end this year with 10 stores for training of customers and vendors, but above all to loyalty to the consumer improving their experience. “In our case, the greatest ease of importing puts us in front of more alternatives for the client, because although there is no direct competition, it forces us to be more attentive to your experience”he comments. In addition to the aforementioned kitchen robots, they sell Kobold intelligent vacuners, leaders in Italy and Germany.
For its part, Ignacio Falgaldegeneral manager of the company LifeCle which markets WPC opening profiles, a wood and plastic recycled product, successor of wood, which does not require maintenance and similar to a hard wood. Originally it occurred in the United States, but then it was located in China because it uses bamboo resin, which abounds there. Half of the components used are national: galvanized steels profile, machinery to install, screws and blacksmithing, which makes almost two thirds of the final value of local incidence. “Now it is easier to import, there are no quotas that increased the price: we sell 30% more in volume than in 2023 but the margin fell and you have to have more volume to be competitive ” concludes.
They started 15 years ago and were the first to market them locally. In 2022 they had 20 employees and are now 35 directly hired. In addition, the installation process occupies between 50 and 80 more people. They expanded with premises in Córdoba, Rosario, Canning and Hudson (to attack South Buenos Aires) and will soon go to Mendoza. Also, they started a franchise system (the first in Salta) where they do not want to operate directly.
A complex productive network where the only crack is to win or lose market to continue in the race.
