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Argentina and the IMF: Can This Marriage Be Saved?

The problem is that if Argentina gets its hands on billions more they will just waste it meddling with the currency. Do you believe that is a good use of the funds @CraigM?

Luckily it sounds like the IMF won't give more money if Argentina does not agree to lift the cepo.

Everyone knows they can not lift the currency controls any time soon. Read from that article. Why would foreign company want to come to Argentina. Look at all foreign companies that cannot transfer their profits out of Argentina. $10 billion worth that will immediately get out once cepo is ended. Many local also will buy dollar.

Financial Times article above


Others regulations are harder to cut. A restriction that prevents multinational companies from transferring profits overseas, for example, is keeping some $10bn worth of pesos in Argentina that would be probably converted to dollars if the rule was scrapped, according to consultancy Fundación Capital. Central bank president Santiago Bausili said in November that such stockpiles were “the main impediment to lifting controls” and that the government was prioritising restrictions on future flows of money.
 
Everyone knows they can not lift the currency controls any time soon. Read from that article. Why would foreign company want to come to Argentina. Look at all foreign companies that cannot transfer their profits out of Argentina. $10 billion worth that will immediately get out once cepo is ended. Many local also will buy dollar.

Financial Times article above


Others regulations are harder to cut. A restriction that prevents multinational companies from transferring profits overseas, for example, is keeping some $10bn worth of pesos in Argentina that would be probably converted to dollars if the rule was scrapped, according to consultancy Fundación Capital. Central bank president Santiago Bausili said in November that such stockpiles were “the main impediment to lifting controls” and that the government was prioritising restrictions on future flows of money.
I knew the cepo was bad but didn't know it was that bad. 10 billion dollars worth of pesos that all will be racing to the exits once cepo ends. Seems criminal that Argentina wouldn't let these multinational companies transfer their profits out of Argentina. Sounds like something Venezuela did.
 
I knew the cepo was bad but didn't know it was that bad. 10 billion dollars worth of pesos that all will be racing to the exits once cepo ends. Seems criminal that Argentina wouldn't let these multinational companies transfer their profits out of Argentina. Sounds like something Venezuela did.
But sounds like he is only taking action that he can take. He isn't the one that started the controls. And it sounds like he is trying to lift them as fast as he can. So everyone saying the currency will devalue once they do the cepo are probably right if that many billions need to exit. No wonder he needs $11 billion from the IMF!
 
I knew the cepo was bad but didn't know it was that bad. 10 billion dollars worth of pesos that all will be racing to the exits once cepo ends. Seems criminal that Argentina wouldn't let these multinational companies transfer their profits out of Argentina. Sounds like something Venezuela did.
I may be a dumb blonde but why in the world would a multinational company even think about coming to Argentina. If the ones that already here and had profits can't get them out of Argentina what incentive do they have to try to do the same thing? Sure Milei may have a different plan but if you look and he still can't get rid of currency controls over a year later from taking office sounds like even if he removed currency controls they could come right back. Seems risky to me.
 
I may be a dumb blonde but why in the world would a multinational company even think about coming to Argentina. If the ones that already here and had profits can't get them out of Argentina what incentive do they have to try to do the same thing? Sure Milei may have a different plan but if you look and he still can't get rid of currency controls over a year later from taking office sounds like even if he removed currency controls they could come right back. Seems risky to me.
The RIGI big investments have some protections against currency controls. But the wildcard are smaller companies. The $10 Billion USD will race to exit Argentina once the cepo ends. There isn't a guarantee that companies will invest in Argentina and replace those funds. Macri got billions in loans waiting for all the investments that never turned out to appear. This could end up being the same thing.
 
Everyone knows they can not lift the currency controls any time soon. Read from that article. Why would foreign company want to come to Argentina. Look at all foreign companies that cannot transfer their profits out of Argentina. $10 billion worth that will immediately get out once cepo is ended. Many local also will buy dollar.

Financial Times article above


Others regulations are harder to cut. A restriction that prevents multinational companies from transferring profits overseas, for example, is keeping some $10bn worth of pesos in Argentina that would be probably converted to dollars if the rule was scrapped, according to consultancy Fundación Capital. Central bank president Santiago Bausili said in November that such stockpiles were “the main impediment to lifting controls” and that the government was prioritising restrictions on future flows of money.
Sounds like Milei knows that lifting the Cepo will bring a devaluation of the peso and inflation come back. Sounds like a tough situation.
 
IMF isn't dumb. They aren't going to just hand over $11 billion only to have Argentina blow it on interventions.

The IMF officials returned to Washington with more questions than answers, in addition to the information on their PCs that the interventions of the BCRA by selling dollars in the CCL had continued during the days they remained in Buenos Aires.

Sources linked to international financial organizations say that the IMF already has a prevailing opinion that the Argentine government will not be disbursed the amount requested (between 11 and 15 billion dollars), but at most, a figure that will allow it to meet the year's payments to the IMF and perhaps to other international organizations. That is, between two and four billion dollars.


 
I may be a dumb blonde but why in the world would a multinational company even think about coming to Argentina. If the ones that already here and had profits can't get them out of Argentina what incentive do they have to try to do the same thing? Sure Milei may have a different plan but if you look and he still can't get rid of currency controls over a year later from taking office sounds like even if he removed currency controls they could come right back. Seems risky to me.
You aren't dumb. Multinational companies aren't going to invest in Argentina if they can't realize profits and get their cash out of Argentina. Some companies have announced big investments with the RIGI program but even those probably won't rush in the funds now. Companies will come here only when the cepo has ended.
 
IMF is probably looking at all the scams of Milei and so relieved they didn't put in more money. Who knows. With Milei maybe the money would have gone into Libra. 🤣
 
IMF is probably looking at all the scams of Milei and so relieved they didn't put in more money. Who knows. With Milei maybe the money would have gone into Libra. 🤣
Yes when I saw the news of the Milei Libra fraud I was laughing thinking about the IMF. They probably are relieved they did not throw away money in Argentina. Who knows what they would spend the money on.
 
Yes when I saw the news of the Milei Libra fraud I was laughing thinking about the IMF. They probably are relieved they did not throw away money in Argentina. Who knows what they would spend the money on.
Not sure how this will affect the timing of IMF releasing more funds. I would think automatically they would need to delay funds to see how this plays out. Or if there will be eventual impeachment hearings against Milei.
 
Not sure how this will affect the timing of IMF releasing more funds. I would think automatically they would need to delay funds to see how this plays out. Or if there will be eventual impeachment hearings against Milei.
Caputo is saying that this crypto scandal is not going to cause problems with the IMF. He probably would say that no matter what but if anything it might be better for the IMF as they know there is more scrutiny on what they use the funds for now with everyone watching Milei.
 
Caputo is saying that this crypto scandal is not going to cause problems with the IMF. He probably would say that no matter what but if anything it might be better for the IMF as they know there is more scrutiny on what they use the funds for now with everyone watching Milei.
But I thought IMF doesn't want Argentina to use funds to manipulate the market but it look like it still going on.

 
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