The Tariff on the Importation and Delivery of Goods in the Canary Islands is one of those stories that reveal the stench of collusion and clientelism. It's sold as a tool to "protect local production" or "compensate for island status," but the reality, as always, is much more prosaic and profitable for a few. At the expense of tourism in southern Gran Canaria, the local elites of Las Palmas make a very good living, capable of calling those who call for its elimination hoax spreaders, as the former president of Asinca, Gonzalo Medina, said a couple of years ago.
The problem is money, as almost always. It's gotten out of hand. The European Commission set a limit of €150 million to make this tax legal under the exceptional circumstances of the outermost regions. And what happened? The revenue has far exceeded that limit.In 2022, the AIEM boosted the figures to nearly €225 million. A 50% increase between 2020 and 2022. In 2024, devastating figures are expected because when the tariff was introduced, a cap of 12 million tourists was set, and they already exceed 17 million across the Canary Islands. A huge amount. This is attributed to the increase in imports. Of course, in the post-pandemic economic recovery, everything that enters through the port of Las Palmas pays its toll. The logic is implacable: more imports, more revenue for local coffers. What is that Las Palmas gang from Asinca going to do? Create a campaign promoting Canarian products so no one raises the alarm?
Brussels on Alert: Pressure from the Digital Press and the Shame of Asinca
Brussels, which has its time but ultimately scrutinizes money, is finalizing a case against Spain. And this is crucial: the tip-off didn't come through official channels or the mainstream press, which prefers to remain silent. The information, the uncomfortable truth that the revenue collection far exceeded the legal limit, reached the European Commission thanks to the Canary Islands' digital press. These media outlets, unlike the "information masseurs" of the traditional press and radio stations specializing in "physiotherapy" (an excellent definition, by the way), don't rely on the shepherding of institutional aid and dare to ask questions. A slap in the face.
Now, Asinca, the employers' association that tooth and nail defends this tax protection for its members, doesn't know where to go. Their business has collapsed. Their "eyes" can no longer withstand reality, and every time there is a regional assembly, they ban the digital press in a display of elitism typical of the pre-constitutional era. It's the shame of someone caught holding the bag. Ordinary people believe that this AIEM only affects "luxury" products like the famous Tirma ambrosias that sweeten life on the islands. But no, the scope is brutal. This tariff applies to the entry of goods into Canary Islands territory, regardless of their origin. And here, in the context of the much-needed tourism recovery in southern Gran Canaria, comes the list that shows the "tariff" and the scope of this tax. From hydraulic cements (other than clinker or white Portland cement) to mortars, concretes, additives, and fireproof preparations. That is, everything you need to build a building, a hotel, or a house, is taxed. Safety glass, insulating glass, and even glass cylinders and bottles (except those for sanitary, cosmetic, or condiment use) are taxed.
In the chemical sector, it affects products as basic to healthcare as nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. Low-concentration sulfuric acid, sodium hypochlorite, dissolved urea, algae fertilizers... If you want to paint a wall, polymer-based paints and varnishes (both aqueous and non-aqueous), except for automotive paints, are also subject to tax. Retail dyes, artist paint colors, fillers, resin cements, and plasters. Even beauty products with 30% or more aloe vera (what a detail!).
Everyday products are not exempt: soap, organic surface-active agents, and cleaning preparations (provided the packaging is not less than 200 kg in some cases, an exception that seems tailor-made). And candles, tapers, or organic solvents and thinners. The omnipresence continues in plastics, with rigid ethylene polymer tubes of certain diameters, except for those used in agriculture. And in paper and graphic arts: toilet paper, tissues, towels, tablecloths, everything for domestic or sanitary use (except for one specific item). Boxes, sacks, bags, paper and cardboard packaging (with the exception of "tetrabrik" and "tetrapack" that denote the relevant lobby). And labels of all kinds. Also writing and printing paper (except those already printed, stamped, or perforated).
This isn't protection for local industry; it's a tax barrier that makes living and economic activity on the islands more expensive. The AIEM (Spanish Tax Agency for the Promotion of Income Tax) is a veritable leech that sucks resources from the entry of almost any good, from a bed frame for a hotel to the paint used to decorate it. And now, with the Brussels sword of Damocles and the courage of the digital press, those who defended this protection have had to dance with the ugliest of cards. The 2027 review is going to be interesting, because Asinca, with the evidence of the collection, is going to have a hard time continuing to "cook" its list.
