An analysis by specialized agents of the Directorate General of Customs revealed that the company Molinos Tres Arroyos SA had invoiced 162 exports to Chile that had been triangulated through the US. Between taxes owed and violations, the company could face a fine of nearly $12 billion under Article 954 of the Customs Code.
The maneuver in question was intended to both evade export taxes and bring in foreign currency for less than the amount actually carried out. The implementation took place from 2020, since the sale had previously taken place directly to the Chilean buyer.
Customs found that the prices for sales to the United States-based intermediary were significantly lower than the prices declared when the goods were imported into Chile. The differences found are on average 78%, which indicates a conversion margin of the third operator that does not correspond to normal commercial practices.
It should be noted that in all cases the goods were shipped directly from Tres Arroyos to Chile, so there is no tangible added value from the US intermediaries to justify re-billing prices in the Northern Hemisphere.
Faced with the irregular operation, the organization led by Guillermo Michel expanded a criminal complaint that it had already filed with the Federal Court No. 1 of the province of Mendoza. The actual total of the 162 targeted operations is $21,594,260.52. Therefore, a fine of $11,960,997,729.53 could be imposed under Article 954 of the Customs Code.
