Customs regulations for your trip to 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

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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

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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.

Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports

• Chapter 1: Live Animals; Animal Products: 4% ad-valorem;
• Chapter 28: Inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, rare-earth metals, radioactive elements, or isotopes: 2 to 10% ad- valorem;
• Chapter 31: Fertilizers: 6 to 10% ad-valorem;
• Chapter 38: Miscellaneous chemical products: 8 to 14% ad-valorem;
• Chapter 39: Plastics and articles thereof: 2 to 14% ad-valorem;
• Chapter 48: Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, paper, or paperboard: 6 to 16% ad-valorem;
• Chapter 49: Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts, and plans: 0 to 16% ad-valorem;
• Chapter 61: Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted: 35% ad-valorem;
• Chapter 62: Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted: 35% ad-valorem;
• Chapter 70: Glass and glassware: 2 to 18% ad-valorem;
• Chapter 94: Furniture; bedding, mattresses, mattress supports, cushions, and similar stuffed furnishings; lamps and lighting fittings, not elsewhere specified or included; illuminated sign illuminated nameplates and the like; prefabricated buildings: 18 to 35% ad-valorem;
• Chapter 95: Toys, games, and sports requisites; parts and accessories thereof: 18 to 35% ad-valorem.

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Prohibited item

• meat or meat products from any animal species (incl. sausages, cold cuts, ham);
• dairy products or dairy bi-products;
• bee products (honey, wax, etc);
• fresh fruit and vegetables; flowers and plants with fruits, ornamental plants, trees or parts of trees, bulbs, seeds, rhizomes, buds etc;
• insects, bacteria, fungi, viruses or any other micro-organisms for research or other uses;
• semen, biological products used in veterinary medicine;
• animal feed;
• soil.

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Miscellaneous(pets\motor..)

Pets:

• Dogs and cats require an official International Veterinary Certificate or Pet Passport issued with a validity of at least 30 days. For pets arriving from Mercosur Member States it must have a validity of at least 60 days .
• Dogs and cats must be submitted to a broad-spectrum treatment against internal and external parasites with products authorized by the Veterinary Authority within 15 days before the issue date of the International Veterinary Certificate.
• A rabies vaccination certificate is also required. If the pet is vaccinated for the first time, this has to be done 21 days before the issue date of the International Veterinary Certificate.
• Pets younger than 3 months of age do not require a rabies vaccination certificate.
• Psittacine birds must be accompanied by an official Health Certificate stating fowl plague and psittacosis have not been diagnosed.

Wild Fauna and Flora:

The import of certain endangered species of plant, live animals and their products is prohibited or restricted under CITES.

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