Apple and BlackBerry sales banned in Argentina

Apple and RIM handsets are banned in Argentina, following grim economic conditions.

Argentina is taking some tough measures to deal with its grim economic condition. It has, for the time being, banned the sales of handsets made abroad and imported into the country.

The Government is trying to discourage people from buying products that are not produced locally. Since Apple’s iPhone and many Blackberry devices are not made in Argentina, the Government ban extends to them too. 

Apple and Blackberry together account for 60% of the smartphone market in Argentina and a loss of this spells out a big loss in sales.

The only way the country is allowing the companies to recover their lost advantage is by building factories within the country instead of importing their products and introducing them directly into the retail market.

The word around the internet is that RIM is already looking for a partner who will help it to expand in Argentina. However, there is no news yet about how Apple plans to deal with this situation. Right now, it looks like it has quietly accepted the ban. 

Competing smartphone makers like Nokia, Samsung, LG and Motorola are luckier. They are all free to sell their devices in the Argentinean retail market since they all have factories in the county that manufacture their products.

According to Phonearena, Argentina has been putting measures in place to protect its economy for a while now, including introducing heavy import duties on Apple and RIM.

Though these measures would have adversely affected the companies’ sales targets, earlier losses will be nowhere near what the firms are facing now. 

The only way for Apple and RIM to get back on their feet in Argentina is either to build factories there or wait it out patiently as the Argentinean Government has promised to lift the ban once the country’s economy recovers.

The only question is: when will that be?