Argentina

Regulations and customs in Argentina

The General Customs Bureau (Dirección General de Aduanas, DGA) applies, collects, and controls taxes under the Argentine Customs Code. It also regulates other taxes on import and export transactions on behalf of other entities. The DGA is part of the Federal Public Revenue Administration (Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos, AFIP). AFIP is an autonomous authority at the administrative level, under the general supervision and legal control of the Treasury Ministry. It executes the tax and customs policies set by the Executive Branch.

Non Tariff Barriers

Certain products, such as sugar, textiles, steel, cars and car parts, are protected through Customs restrictions, quotas and/or high Customs duties.
Companies that want to exchange local currency into foreign currency must ask the ‘Administration Federal de Ingreso Público’, AFIP (Federal Public Revenue Administration) for authorisation
Some product need prior approval from the Government, they require sanitation certificates issued by a competent authority in the country of origin.To name some;

• pharmaceuticals products
• insecticides
• medical devices
  agricultural goods
• livestock
• plants

Click here to view : Regulations customs

Import Procedures

There are certain products with automatic licence procedures (formulario informativo), which officially allow Argentine Customs authorities to identify possible problems when they are imported. This licencing scheme encompasses about 600 products of different kinds.

Argentine Customs, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Economy and Public Finance, has a three-tiered classification system related to goods inspection (Comprehensive Import Monitoring System – SIMI):

• Green: customs clearance takes place without physical inspection
• Orange: only documentation is inspected
• Red: both goods and documents are inspected.

Ten days before clearing Customs a form declaring quantities and composition of goods must also be provided to the Ministry of Industry.
All documents presented to Argentinean authorities must be in Spanish or be accompanied with a translation from a certified translator.

Specific Import Procedures

• Three copies of the commercial invoice
• A negotiable copy of the Bill of landing
• Insurances certificates
• A packaging list

Air cargo shipment must present the following documents:

• Three copies of the commercial invoice
• A packaging list
• An airway bill

Click here to view : Customs procedures

Importing Samples

The Temporary Admission Regime (TAR) allows samples and advertising materials without commercial value to enter the country duty and tax free, as long as they are useless for sale.

Packaging, containers, pallets and goods for transformation for future export are also eligible for entry under this regime. Finished goods must be exported within 360 days from the date of temporary admission (could be extended up to 360 more days, or for a total of 1080 days for specific long-term projects).

For the import, export and re-export of commercial samples, the ATA (Temporary Admission) carnet cannot be used, as Argentina did not sign the agreement.