Source: La Nacion - www.lanacion.com.ar 

Starting from today, Renault will lay off workers at the Córdoba plant for three days due to lack of inputs to keep its assembly line working. 
 
Also, the French car maker company is suffering supply problems from local suppliers that are also affected by the Brazilian strike. Other companies in the same sector recognized that they have been facing inconveniences due to lack of Brazilian parts. 
 
For that reason, the car maker sector talked in the Secretary of Industry that in turn contacted the Brazilian authorities. The major Mercosur partner promised it will try to liberate the merchandise retained along the frontier. Nevertheless, everything depends on the evolution of the strike. 
 
Fiscal auditors are responsible for verifying the merchandise going through Brazilian customs offices, both imports and export. Only 30% of the troop is now working, though on protest, just to evacuate alive or perishable freight, and dangerous merchandise. 
 
An official statement from the National Union of Fiscal Auditors in the Federal Receita (Unafisco) and from the National Federation of Fiscal Auditors (Fenafisp) explained yesterday that the strike had began with a request for a salary increase and it will continue for uncertain time as a response to the Supreme Federal Tribunal of Brazil decision authorizing the AFIP in that country to discount the days on strike from the striker’s wages. The problem has become a State question in Brazil, since the Brazilian officials have threatened with a collective resignation if an agreement is not achieved. 
 
Mr. Diego Pérez Santiesteban, president of the Chamber of Importers in Republica Argentina (CIRA) said that up to some days ago the customs operations were carried out with between five and ten days delay to liberate loads. 
 
"But these latest days the problem worsened, and we calculate that there are among 5000 to 6000 stranded trucks in Paso de Los Libres", Mr. Pérez Santiesteban said. "A Chancellery intervention would be important ", he added. 
 
Mr. Fabián De Cesare, of DM International, the Brazilian terrestrial logistics company said that some Argentinean companies are already registering lack of supply in their assembly lines. "The car-manufacturing companies working on just-in-time logistics are specially affected", De Cesare said. And he added that companies providing transport services are also suffering losses. 
 
"DM has had 80 stranded trucks for over a week, with a daily cost of 400 dollars a truck, in the frontier stations of Sâo Borja, Uruguayana and Yaguarao." De Cesare, whose company is devoted to car-parts transportation, added that the highest percentage of stranded vehicles is in the North-South direction.