Argentine SMEs are alarmed by the elimination of cell phone tariffs: "It's the destruction of the national industry."

Small and medium-sized business owners sounded the alarm on Tuesday following the decision by Javier Milei 's government to completely eliminate tariffs on cell phone imports before January 2026. Daniel Moreira, president of the SME Association, strongly criticized the measure and warned that it puts thousands of jobs in the national industry at risk.

In an interview with AM 750 radio station, Moreira asserted that this is not an isolated measure. "It's hitting like everything else has been hitting. It's the total, plain and simple, and cruel destruction of the national industry," stated the metallurgical entrepreneur with more than four decades of experience in the sector.

The SME leader maintained that the impact is not limited to the technology sector. "Every sector feels it to a greater or lesser extent, but what it does is expel labor. All this does is destroy a source of employment for us and for the workers," he noted, concerned about the knock-on effect that the complete opening of imports could have.

According to the official announcement, the measure will be implemented in two stages: a reduction of the tariff from 16% to 8%, and then its final elimination in 2026. For Moreira, this is part of a broader deindustrialization plan. "With this government, there's no discussion, there's combat. They haven't talked about industry in the year and a half they've been in office. They don't care about industry, just as they don't care about retirees or people with disabilities," he denounced.

The businessman also warned about the magnitude of the potential damage: "They're coming to destroy everything we've been able to build as a people. Estimate that there may be around 2,000 companies dedicated to this sector, with a slightly larger or smaller portfolio, and multiply that by four."

"SMEs provide registered employment in Argentina. When 75 percent of workers are unemployed, how will we live? What kind of country are they waiting for? They're taking us to a very worrying place," Moreira said, highlighting the key role small and medium-sized businesses play in job creation.

Moreira insisted on the need for a change of direction: "The resolution of industrial policy with sovereignty must be on the table." For the head of the SME Association, there is no possible future without national industry.