G/LIC/Q/ARG/1 6 
5 April 2018 
(18-2076) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Import Licensing  Original:  Englis h 
 
  
IMPORT LICENSING SYSTEM OF ARGENTINA  
QUESTIONS FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION TO ARGENTINA  
The f ollowing communication, dated 27 March 2018 , is being circulated at the request  of the 
delegation of the European Union . 
 
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The EU thanks Argentina for its notification circulated as document G/LIC/N/2/ARG/28, referring to 
the Trade Resolution No 523/2017 on automatic and non -automatic import licensing and Ministry 
of Production Resolution No. 292 -E/2017 repealing Ministry of P roduction Resolution No. 5/2015 
and the amending regulations thereto (Secretariat for Trade Resolutions Nos. 2/2016, 32/2016, 
114/2016, 172/2016, 264/2016, 301/2016 and 152/2017).  
  
The EU would like to ask Argentina some clarifications not only with refe rence to this notification 
(G/LIC/N/2/ARG/28) but also with reference to its annual notification (G/LIC/N/3/ARG/13).  
 
According to the notification  G/LIC/N/2/ARG/28 , Argentina has substantially changed its import 
licensing procedures in place. The EU under stands that the renewed import licensing regime aims 
at consolidating the list of products previously repealed by resolution 292/2017 and replaced by 
the notified resolution 523/2017.  
 
It seems however to the EU that, in practice, nothing changes and that  a system of non -automatic 
licences remains in place justified by the need to establish an appropriate prior verification system 
for ensuring compliance with the conditions governing the importation of the goods, in accordance 
with the provisions of Annexe s II to XVII to Secretariat for Trade Resolution No. 523/2017.  
 
The EU notes also that the annual notification (G/LIC/N/3/ARG/13) does not contain the list of 
products subject to licensing procedures as well as several of the information requested under 
Article 5 of the Import Licensing Agreement.  
 
EU question No 1 : Could Argentina submit detailed information about the products subject to 
automatic import licensing procedures as well as the ones subject to non -automatic import 
licensing procedures?  
 
EU question No 2 : Could also Argentina submit a table listing all products subject to import 
licensing procedures and clearly indicating how the amendme nts introduced by Resolution 
No 523/2017 have affected each product?  
 
According to the notification  G/LIC/ N/3/ARG/13 , Argentina states that, after having examined 
other possible options, it considers the system of non -automatic licensing established by 
Resolution No 523/2017 to be the most appropriate for obtaining an advance supply of descriptive 
statistical information for historical records.  
 
EU question No 3 : Could Argentina give further details clarifying what other options have been 
considered and the reasons for not having being considered appropriate?  
 G/LIC/Q/ARG/16   
 
- 2 - 
 
  Resolution No. 5/20181, dated 8 January 2018, of the Secretariat of Commerce significantly 
reduced the universe of tariff positions covered by NAL regime, eliminating 300 positions covered 
by such regime.  The positions that no longer require NAL include kraft papers, vertical freezers, 
clothes dryers, motorcycles up to 500 c.c., parts of bicycles, leather clothing accessories, 
laminated steel products, iron bars, aluminium bars, aluminium sheets, copper sheets and wires, 
saws, boilers and their parts, cranes, seeders, parts of wagons, ships, cotton spinning, different 
agar-agar chemicals, alcohols, aluminium sulphate, ferrocerium, insecticides, herbicides, polymers, 
pvc films, acrylic yarns, fibbers acrylic polyesters, porcelain, glass, fittings, turbines and their 
parts, fittin gs, filters, scales weights, harvesters, ingot moulds, valves, electric motors.  
 
EU question No 4 : The EU understands that for these goods there is no longer the need to 
establish an appropriate prior verification system for ensuring compliance with the co nditions 
governing the importation of goods. Could Argentina give further details clarifying what were the 
considerations that led to such a conclusion and the decision to eliminate the non -automatic 
licences for these particular products?  
 
EU question No  5: Could also Argentina clarify whether the new rules will be notified?  
 
According to the information available to the EU2, Argentina is planning to gradually further 
remove approximately 800 of the remaining NALs in the next 12 to 18 months. However, it seems 
that they would be replaced by a scheme of technical regulations.  
 
EU question No 6 : Could Argentina give further information on this issue, clarifying in particular 
whether the information is correct?  
 
EU question No 7 : Could Argentina clarify wha t products will be affected by those technical 
regulations?  
 
EU question No 8 : Could also Argentina submit some indications on the timing expected for the 
introduction of the technical regulations?  
 
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1 https://www.boletinoficial.gob.ar/#!DetalleNorma/177445/20180111 . 
2 https://www.baenegocios.com/economia -finanzas/El -Gobierno -reemplazara -licencias -no-automaticas -
por-normas -industriales -20180111 -0063.html .