A report from the local Stock Exchange confirms reductions driven by trade liberalization and lower taxes
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The economic liberalization promoted by Javier Milei's government continues to show its tangible fruits in the shop windows of the province of Córdoba. With the total elimination of the 8% import tariff in force since January 15, 2026, access to technology is much simpler. This measure seeks to enable citizens to regain their purchasing power by allowing domestic prices to adjust to reality.
According to the Ecosur Foundation of the Córdoba Stock Exchange, the average value of mobile devices recorded a 2.1% drop in pesos. This decline was detected during the last week of January after analysts thoroughly examined the behavior of 320 products on digital platforms. The study reveals that 92 items dropped in price and 118 remained stable, which demonstrates a clear trend toward deflation in the sector.
Although 108 devices showed isolated increases due to the market's own inertia, the overall impact of the tax removal is very encouraging. The stability of the official exchange rate, which fell by 0.1%, provided the necessary framework for the tariff removal to be passed on to consumers. This way, Córdoba residents are beginning to enjoy a more competitive supply that breaks with years of artificial increases in technology prices.
Los teléfonos Apple alcanzaron una caída promedio del 6,5%
Apple and Samsung lead the price cuts
The impact of this free trade policy was felt with particular force in international brands that depend on the inflow of merchandise. Phones manufactured by Apple showed the most pronounced drop in the entire survey, reaching an average decline of 6.5% in their values. Meanwhile, Samsung recorded a 3.0% decrease, while Motorola models adjusted their prices downward by about 1.6%.
On the opposite side, Xiaomi recorded an average increase of 4.2% due to specific factors in its own marketing and logistics chain. Economic theory holds true in Córdoba: by eliminating the entry tax, the domestic price converges rapidly with the international price. Local consumers can now choose high-end devices without having to pay the surcharges that state customs bureaucracy previously imposed.
When analysts look at the different segments, low-end cell phones were the ones that reduced their value the most for the public, with a 2.6% drop. The high-end segment also accompanied this virtuous process with a 0.8% decline, which facilitates device replacement for various professionals and students. Nevertheless, mid-range devices experienced an average increase of 1.3% that is attributed to temporary readjustments by local sellers.
En Córdoba, el valor promedio de los dispositivos móviles registró una caída del 2,1% en pesos
Historic reduction of the tax burden
The report by the economists of the Stock Exchange highlights a deep structural change in the composition of the final price of each mobile device. At the beginning of 2025, the tax burden on an imported cell phone represented 42% of the total, which was a suffocating weight for any worker. After the total removal of tariffs in January and the cuts in May 2025, that tax burden fell drastically to 29%.
Although specialists estimated that the theoretical reduction should have been around 7%, the current adjustment of 2.1% is only the beginning of the process. This difference is explained by the accumulated stock that was purchased with the previous taxes and that businesses must liquidate gradually. Analysts expect that products assembled in Tierra del Fuego will have to lower their prices soon in order to compete with the supply from the outside world.
Looking ahead, the Córdoba market projects greater price transparency thanks to the competition caused by this new freedom-based model. There is an external risk due to the demand for chips for artificial intelligence, but the lower local tax burden acts as a major protective shield. Córdoba is thus positioning itself as a market that benefits from the national economic order, which allows technology to be a good that is accessible to everyone.
