WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/DS438/1 
G/L/989 
G/AG/GEN/101 
G/LIC/D/40 G/TRIMS/D/29 G/SG/D42/1 
30 May 2012 
 
 
(12-2831) 
 Original:   English 
   
ARGENTINA – MEASURES AFFECTING THE IMPORTATION  
OF GOODS  
 
Request for Consultations by the European Union 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 25 May 2012, from the delegation of the 
European Union to the delegation of Argentina an d to the Chairperson of the Dispute Settlement 
Body, is circulated in accordance with Article 4.4 of the DSU. 
 
_______________ 
 
 
My authorities have instructed me to request  consultations with the Government of the 
Republic of Argentina ("Argentina"), pursuant to Articles 1 and 4 of the Understanding on Rules and 
Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes , Article XXII of the General Agreement on Tariffs 
and Trade, 1994  (GATT 1994), Article 19 of the Agreement on Agriculture , Article 6 of the 
Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures and (the ILP Agreement) Article 8 of the Agreement on 
Trade Related Investment Measures  (the TRIMS Agreement) and Article 14 of the Agreement on 
Safeguards , with respect to certain measures imposed by  Argentina on the importation of goods into 
Argentina. 
Argentina subjects the importation of goods into  Argentina to the presentation for approval 
(validación ) of a so-called Declaración Jurada An ticipada de Importación (DJAI).  The relevant legal 
instruments are listed in Annex I. 
Argentina subjects the importation of certain goods into Argentina to various types of 
licenses:  Licencias No Automáticas de Importación  in the form of Certificados de Importación  (CIs); 
Licencias Automáticas Previas de Importación  (LAPI ); and Certificados de Libre Circulación  
(CLCs ). The legal instruments providing for these measures are listed in Annex II, Annex III and 
Annex IV, respectively.  
Argentina often requires the importers of goods  to undertake certain commitments, including, 
inter alia , to limit their imports, to balance them with e xports, to make or increase their investments in 
production facilities in Argentina, to increase the lo cal content of the products they manufacture in 
Argentina, not to transfer benefits abro ad and/or to control their prices.   
The issuance of LAPIs, CIs and CLCs and the approval of DJAIs is being systematically 
delayed or refused by the Argentinean authorities on non-transparent grounds. Often the Argentinean 
authorities make the issuance of LAPIs, CIs and CLC and the approval of DJIAs conditional upon the 
importers undertaking to comply with the trad e restrictive commitments mentioned above.  WT/DS438/1, G/L/989,  
G/AG/GEN/101, G/LIC/D/40,  G/TRIMS/D/29, G/SG/D42/1 
Page 2 
  
  These measures restrict imports of goods and discriminate between imported and domestic 
goods. They do not appear to be related to the implementation of any measure justified under the 
WTO Agreement, but instead aimed at advancing th e Argentinean Government's stated policies of 
re-industrialization, import s ubstitution and elimination of trade balance deficits.  
The legal measures through which Argentina impos es these restrictions include, but are not 
limited to, the legal instruments listed in the A nnexes, as well as any amendments, replacements, 
extensions, implementing meas ures or related measures. 
Argentina's measures appear to be inconsis tent with Argentina's obligations under the 
following provisions of the covered agreements: 
(i) Articles III:4, VIII; X:1, X:3 and XI:1 of the GATT 1994; 
(ii) Article 2 of the TRIMs Agreement; 
(iii) Articles 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 2.2, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and 3.5 of the ILP Agreement. 
(iv) Article 4.2 of the Agreement on Agriculture; 
(v) Article 11 of the Safeguards Agreement. 
Argentina's measures appear to nullify or impair  the benefits accruing to the European Union 
directly or indirectly under the covered agreements.   
The European Union reserves the right to ra ise additional measures and claims regarding 
these matters in the course of the consultations. 
The European Union looks forward to receiving in due course a reply from Argentina to this 
request.  The European Union is ready to consider  with Argentina mutually convenient dates to hold 
consultations.  
 
 
_______________ 
 
  WT/DS438/1, G/L/989,  
 G/AG/GEN/101, G/LIC/D/40,   G/TRIMS/D/29, G/SG/D42/1 
 Page 3 
  
  Annex I 
Declaración Jurada Anticipada de Importación 
(DJAI) 
– Resolución AFIP 3252/2012 
– Resolución AFIP 3255/2012 
– Resolución AFIP 3256/2012 
– Resolución AFIP 3276/2012 
– Resolución SCI 1/2012 
– Comunicación del Banco Cent ral “A” 5134  of 1.11.2010 
– Any amendments, replacements, extensions, implementing measures or related measures. 
 
Annex II 
Non-automatic licenses ( Licencias No Automáticas de Importación ) in the form of import 
certificates ( Certificados de Importacion)    
– Import certificate for shoes ( productos del sector calzado )  - C.I.C.: Resolución MEyOSP 977/99, 
Resolución SICM 736/99 and Resolución MEyP 486/2005 
– Import certificate for paper ( papel ) – C.I.P.:  Resolución MEyOSP 1117/99 and Resolución 
SICyM 798/99 
– Import certificate for household products ( artículos para el hogar ) -  C.I.A.H.: Resolución MEyP 
444/2004 and Resolución SICPME 177/2004;  
– Import certificate for toys ( juguetes ) – C.I.J.: Resolución MEyP 485/2005 
– Import certificate for motorcycles ( motocicletas ) – C.I.M. : Resolución MEyP 689/2006,  
– Import Certificate for bicycle tyres ( cubiertas y neumáticos de bicicleta ):  - C.I.C.C.N.B. : 
Resolución MEyP 694/2006 
– Import certificate for miscella neous manufactured products ( manufacturas diversas ) – C.I.M.D.: 
Resolución MEyP 47/2007 
– Import certificate for shoe parts ( partes de calzado ) – C.I.P.C.: Resolución MEyP 61/2007 
– Import certificate for balls ( pelotas ) C.I.P.:  Resolución MEyP 217/2007 
– Import certificate for textile products ( productos textiles ) – C.I.P.T. : Resolución MEyP 343/2007   
– Import certificate for metal products ( productos metalúrgicos ) – C.I.P.M: Resolución MEyP 
588/2008 
– Import certificate for yarns ( hilados y tejidos ) – C.I.H.T.: Resolución MEyP 589/2008 
– Import certificate for tyres ( neumáticos ) – C.I.N: Resolución MP 26/2009 
– Import certificate for miscellaneous products ( productos varios ) – C.I.P.V.: Resolución MP 
61/2009 WT/DS438/1, G/L/989,  
G/AG/GEN/101, G/LIC/D/40,  G/TRIMS/D/29, G/SG/D42/1 
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  – Import certificate for screws and similar products  ( tornillos y afines ) – C.I.T.A.: Resolución MP 
165/2009  
– Import certificate for autorparts ( autopartes y afines ) – C.I.A.P.A.: Resolución MP 337/2009 
– Import certificate for motor vehicles  ( vehículos automóviles ) – C.I.V.A.: Resolución MI 45/2011 
–  Any amendments, replacements , extensions, implementing measures or related measures. 
 
Annex III 
Automatic import licenses 
(Licencias Automáticas Previas de Importación  or LAPI ) 
– Resolución  MEyOSP 17/99 
– Resolución SICM 59/99 
– Resolución  SICM 150/99 
– Resolución MEyOSP 820/99 
– Resolución  SICM 465/99 y AFIP 451/99 
– Decreto PEN 509/2007  
– Any amendments, replacements, extensions, implementing measures or related measures. 
 
Annex IV 
Certificados de Libre Importación  for food products 
– Ley 1824/1969  
– Decreto 2092/1991 
– Resolución M.S y A.S. 876/97 
– Resolución ANMATM 5434/98. 
– Any amendments, replacements, extensions, implementing measures or related measures. 
 
 
 
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