589) Assim marcha a integracao: disputas entre Chile e Argentina em torno do gas e da gasolina

Primeiro a Argentina deixou de fornecer ao Chile todo o gás prometido em virtude de acordos bilaterais firmados entre os dois países: como a Argentina tornou-se pouco atrativa para novos investimentos, eles agora não conseguem cumprir os contratos de exportação de gás argentino para a o Chile assinados entre os dois países. Agora a Argentina está mantendo os seus preços de gás estáveis (a despeito do aumento dos preços do gás boliviano) e repassando para o Chile o custo maior, o que constitui sem dúvida alguma uma discriminação.
Agora a Argentina também está discriminando todos os seus vizinhos (Brasil inclusive) querendo cobrar preços diferenciados para a gasolina adquirida em postos argentinos mas por carros estrangeiros, o que é uma violação da regra do tratamento nacional.
Vejam esta duas matérias:

Chile’s Argentine gas bill soars 50 to 75%
Wednesday, 12 July

Chile’s natural gas bill will increase by 130 million US dollars from now until the end of 2006, following Argentina’s decision to leave its domestic prices unchanged and “pass on” to Chile the new Bolivian gas price structure.
According to the recent agreement reached with Bolivia, Argentina will be paying 5 US dollars for every million BTU, which is a significant difference with the domestic market 1.5 US dollars.
According to Chilean sources, Argentina’s natural gas clients will be paying for the “added value”, Chile 90%, and Brazil and Uruguay the remaining 10%.
“This is blatant discrimination: first they discriminate us with the supply of gas, in spite of contracts, and now they discriminate with additional export taxes”, complained a Chilean energy company manager.
Argentina is approaching a presidential election and President Nestor Kirchner dares not introduce reforms to the distorted and highly subsidized domestic energy market.
An average monthly gas bill ranges 46 US dollars in Chile, and 11.5 US dollars every two months in Argentina. Even with considerable proven gas reserves, price distortion in Argentina has discouraged investment in exploration and production, while at subsidized prices demand has rocketed both for home consumption and electricity generation, leaving the system overstretched with limited volumes to honour export contracts.
This week Argentina is scheduled to inform Chile of the new natural gas price structure which will include an export levy equivalent to 1.5 US dollars per million BTU.
This means Chilean distributors will have to pay an additional 50 to 75% with final prices ranging between 3.5 and 4.5 US dollars per million BTU, pumped to the Chilean border.
Apparently three factors will influence the levy and final bill to pay by Chile.
First the Bolivia factor, which means that if Argentine imports from Bolivia reach five million cubic metres per day, Chile will have to pay an additional 110 million US dollars until the end of 2006. However if Argentine imports increase to seven million cubic metres per day, the bill would be 130 million US dollars.
The other two variables are linked to volumes exported, the more gas pumped, the levy can be better diluted among distributors, but if the overall volume is less, the levy will be higher.
Similarly the levy will be adjusted quarterly. This means that if Argentina promises to send 15 million cubic metres per day, at the end of the three months if the volume is below Argentina will collect the difference, but if above target cubic metres are pumped, the adjustment will favour Chilean distributors.
“This is no negotiation: Argentina is plainly informing the Chilean government of the new price structure”, complained a Chilean energy company official. Even with higher prices Argentina is not guaranteeing an improved natural gas provision “which threatens the stability of electricity generation and increases generating costs”.
Chile in the nineties became highly dependent on Argentine gas supply for home consumption and electricity generation.
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Chile furious with Argentina’s “discriminatory” fuel prices
Argentina’s decision to increase fuel prices in frontier areas to vehicles with foreign plates was described Tuesday by Chilean president Michelle Bachelet as “inconceivable” and contrary to the integration path the region pretends.
“Countries can make all possible domestic decisions but we feel this is not a conceivable decision or signaling the right path towards greater integration”, said a disappointed Ms Bachelet adding she will bring up the matter in the coming Mercosur presidential summit next week in Cordoba, Argentina.
“We can’t endorse decisions like these which really are contrary to a greater integration in all fields, trade, tourism, vehicle and people’s movements”, insisted the Chilean president.
Late Monday Chilean Foreign Affairs minister Alejandro Foxley said the Argentine initiative was “discriminatory and contradictory”, particularly when the bilateral relation with Argentina is undergoing a “peak of tension”, following Buenos Aires unilateral decision to impose export fees to the natural gas pumped to Chile.
Mr. Foxley was also irritated because Chilean Mining and Energy minister Karen Poniachik was not informed of the Argentine decision when she visited Buenos Aires last week to talk about natural gas rates and supply.
“We would have expected that minister Poniachik was informed of the decision since it was announced 48 hours later and she wasn’t at all aware of the impending decision”, insisted Mr. Foxley.
“There’s no reasonable explanation to the fact that because you’re Chilean and are visiting Mendoza for the weekend, you must pay double the price of fuel for being in Argentine territory”, said Foxley.
If petty smuggling is the issue, “that’s what Customs, on both sides are for: if there is an illegal trade in fuel, make them pay fuel taxes”, insisted the Chilean official.
“The issue will be considered in the coming Mercosur meeting and further on in the South American Community of Nations”, anticipated President Bachelet.
Meanwhile the president of the Chilean Production and Commerce Chamber Hernan Somerville warned about the “delicate” situation Chile is facing because of its energy dependence on neighbouring countries.
“Chile is not just another partner for Argentina, we’re first class partners and first class partners must be treated with consideration and respect”, underlined Somerville.
The president of the Lower House Foreign Relations Committee, Deputy Jorge Tarud reacted to the decision saying “Chileans should abstain from doing tourism in Argentina as long as the fuel decision is effective”.
Tarud called on other Mercosur members to adopt a similar attitude and if “Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay join us, surely it will make Argentina think twice and change its mind. Tourism is a big source of income for Argentina”.
The Argentine decision becomes effective at the end of the month. Fuel prices in Chile are double those in Argentina.
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