Detail

Argentina

Oilseeds, oils and meals

Soybeans, sunflower and groundnut, and their respective oils/meals

01/03/2020

Trade

Export taxation

Raised the export tax for soybean, soyoil and soymeal soyoil from 30 percent to 33 percent, and that for biodiesel from 27 percent to 30 percent. By contrast, the tax rates for sunflower seed, groundnut and their respective crude oils were lowered from 12 percent to 7 percent, and those for confectionary sunflower seed/groundnuts, refined sunflower-seed/groundnut oil and sunflower-seed/groundnut meal from 12 percent to 5 percent. Under the revised duty scheme, small- and medium-scale soybean producers benefit from lower tax rates. Reportedly, the full 30 percent rate would apply to roughly one-quarter of the country’s soybean farmers, who account for about three-quarters of domestic soy production.

ARGENTINA – export policy: A revised export duty scheme for selected agricultural commodities has come into force on 5 March, along with the reactivation of the export registration mechanism that had been suspended on 26 February (see also MPPU Jan. & Mar.’20). Citing fiscal policy reasons, the Government raised the duty for soybean, soymeal and soyoil to 33% (compared to the 30% rate in place since December 2019), thus retaining a uniform tax rate for primary and secondary/value-added products. Under the revised duty scheme, larger/commercial farms will be subject to higher duties than smaller-scale farms: the 33% rate will only apply to farmers producing more than 1000 tonnes of soybeans per year; while farmers harvesting between 500 and 1000 tonnes will continue to pay 30%, and producers with an output of less than 500 tons will be charged duties ranging between 20% and 29%. Reportedly, the top duty rate will apply to about one quarter of the country’s soybean farmers, who account for three-quarters of total production. As for other agricultural commodities, the export duties for wheat, maize, sorghum, beef and poultry have been left unchanged, while those for sunflowerseed, groundnut and their respective crude oils were lowered from 12% to 7% and those for confectionary sunflowerseed/groundnuts, refined sunflowerseed/groundnut oil and sunflowerseed/groundnut meal from 12% to 5%. The export tax for biodiesel was raised from 27% to 30%.