Analyzing Drivers of Latin America’s Smartphone Gray Market
Overview: Latin America (LATAM) gray market smartphones accounted for more than 9% of legitimate entries, that were not locally assembled nor officially imported during the first three quarters of 2024. However, in countries such as Brazil, they accounted for up to 18% of their markets during certain quarters.
Although gray-market smartphones are present in many countries, only a few markets are affected by such devices. There are two main drivers of this phenomenon. The first is related to the level of taxes imposed on smartphones. The more the taxes, the bigger the gray market. The other driver is the geographical location. This report analyzes the correlation and individual effects of these two drivers.
Table of Contents:
- Channels for Gray Market Smartphone Imports
- Percentage of Taxes Imposed on Smartphones in LATAM
- Brazil and Argentina are Impacted the Worst, but They Are Not the Only Ones
- Factors Contributing to High Costs of Local Smartphone Assembly/Manufacturing
- Looking Forward
Number of Pages: 4
Publication Date: January 2025
Category
Industry
Smartphone
Service
Premium
Report Type
Report
Time Period
Other
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Author
Tina Lu
Tina has extensive consulting and analysis experience across a number of industry sectors including more than 14 years in the technology industry. Before Counterpoint, Tina spent more than 9 years in Nokia working in multiple roles and geographic regions. Tina also worked in brand and product marketing for Bestfoods-Unilever and BGH. Tina holds an MBA degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.