Sales of tablets in Argentina reached almost 900,000 units last year

A total of nearly 900,000 tablets were sold in Argentina in 2013, according to a study by local telecoms consultancy Carrier y Asociados.

The consultancy's report stated that sales of tablets last year were more than double those occurring in 2012.

According to the consultancy, sales of tablets last year could have been higher without the import restrictions imposed by Argentine authorities. The government of Argentina has been imposing these restrictions to protect the country's trade surplus.

For 2014, the study forecast that the tablet segment could expand by 50% compared to 2013 in terms of units sold. However, this figure will depend on trade restrictions and the production level in Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province.

Most laptops in the country are manufactured in Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, where IT firms receive tax breaks for manufacturing electronics. However, tablet production in the province is still low, according to Carrier y Asociados' study.

Argentina's PC market was expected to move 3.7mn units in 2013 compared to 3mn in 2012, according to the firm. It said that the market was boosted by government programs such as the Conectar Igualdad digital inclusion plan.