Do Agricultural Export Taxes Work? Evidence from Argentina 2012-2022

Gabriel Montes-Rojas () and Andrés Salles ()
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Gabriel Montes-Rojas: Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política (IIEP UBA–CONICET). Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Andrés Salles: Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política (IIEP UBA–CONICET). Buenos Aires, Argentina.

No 2025-111, Documentos de trabajo del Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política IIEP (UBA-CONICET) from Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política IIEP (UBA-CONICET)

Abstract: This study analyzes the impact of agricultural export taxes ("retenciones") in Argentina from 2012 to 2022, focusing on the meat and wheat/bread sectors. Using multivariate time series econometric models, it evaluates how these taxes affect domestic prices and exports. Findings show that export taxes significantly and persistently reduce exports, harming the competitiveness of the agricultural sector. Regarding domestic prices, the effects vary by product: meat prices experience a brief and limited decrease, while wheat and bread prices unexpectedly increase, challenging the conventional belief that export taxes help control domestic inflation. The study concludes that, in the long run, export taxes have a negative impact on export performance and ambiguous effects on local prices. In light of these results, it recommends replacing export taxes with other forms of taxation, as their economic costs may outweigh their fiscal benefits.

Keywords: Exports; Taxes; Agricultural sector; Prices (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E31 H25 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2025-12
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ake:iiepdt:2025-111

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