Argentina to scrap fixed book prices, risking retail consolidation

Argentina's government has reintroduced legislation to abolish a 23-year-old law requiring uniform pricing for books across all retail channels. Minister of Deregulation Federico Sturzenegger pushed the new draft bill in July 2026, aiming to end restrictions that prevent large retailers and e-commerce platforms from setting their own prices.

Since 2001, Law 25.542 has forced every bookstore, supermarket, and online seller to offer new titles at a single price dictated by publishers. Repealing the rule could cut the cost of a mass-market paperback—which currently sits at R$ 25,000 (US$4.92)—by 20% or more as major players compete on bestsellers. Because the current law covers both print and digital editions, its removal would also allow e-book prices to diverge between sellers for the first time in over two decades.

For market professionals, the reform signals a potential consolidation wave in a publishing industry worth more than US$300 million. Large retail chains and online platforms stand to capture significant market share by discounting popular new releases. This is a pricing strategy that independent neighborhood bookshops, which operate on thin margins, simply cannot absorb.

Industry groups argue the deregulation will ultimately hollow out the sector rather than grow it. The Fundación del Libro, which organizes the Buenos Aires Book Fair, warns that removing price protections will allow big retailers to undercut competitors on bestsellers. Once small stores are driven out of business, these large players could raise prices on backlist titles, reducing overall market diversity.

The legislative package extends well beyond retail pricing mechanics. It proposes dissolving the special fund for Bibliotecas Populares by eliminating their postal franchises, tax exemptions, and maintenance subsidies. Furthermore, the plan scraps a decades-old rule requiring most imported books to be translated into Spanish, a shift that could flood the market with cheaper foreign editions and increase availability of English-language imports.

This marks the administration's third attempt to dismantle the pricing law. A December 2023 omnibus bill and a subsequent Decree of Necessity and Urgency both targeted the rule, but the emergency decree faced legal challenges that blocked its implementation. The fresh legislative route confirms that deregulation remains a core priority for the government despite past judicial hurdles.