WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/LIC/N/3/ARG/6 
20 October 2010 
 
 (10-5431) 
Committee on Import Licensing Original:   Spanish 
  
 
REPLIES TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE ON IMPORT 
LICENSING PROCEDURES
1 
 
Notification under Article 7.3 of the Agreement  
on Import Licensing Procedures  
Notification for the year 2008  
 
ARGENTINA 
  
 The following communication, dated 14 October 2010, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Argentina.  
_______________ 
 
 Outline of systems
 
 
1. Two types of import licence are administered at  present by the Secretariat of Industry and 
Trade:  automatic and non-automati c.  Automatic import licences, as th eir name suggests, are granted 
on the basis of a single requirement, namely complian ce with all of the prescribed formalities.  They 
are approved in all cases and are consistent with Article 2 of the World Trade Organization (WTO) 
Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures.  Applica tions for non-automatic licences are consistent 
with Article 3 of this Agreement, which is inco rporated into Argentine legislation by way of 
Law 24.425. 
 Automatic import licences currently being admi nistered include the Sworn Declaration of 
Product Composition (DJCP), under the responsibility of the Secretariat of Industry and Trade, and 
the Prior Automatic Import Licence (LAPI), admini stered by the Directorate-General of Customs 
within the Federal Public Revenue Administratio n.  Procedures for the DJCP are manual and 
applications are submitted to the Directorate of Im ports of the Undersecretariat for Trade Policy and 
Management.  The LAPI is the first computerized import licence processed by the MARIA computer system (SIM).  It aims to monitor imports in  advance, thereby providing an advance supply of 
descriptive statistical information for the historical r ecords, which, in turn, enables their trend to be 
analysed.  This would prove useful in the event of trade defence measures being adopted and avoid 
delays which could harm the various domestic sectors.   Non-automatic import licences are import certificates issued by the National Foreign Trade 
Management Directorate to importers who comply w ith current statutory requirements with regard to 
consumers' rights and submit the corresponding app lication to the Directorate-General of Customs 
when requesting clearance documents for imports of consumer goods.  
                                                     
 
1 See G/LIC/3, Annex, for the Questionnaire. G/LIC/N/3/ARG/6 
Page 2  
 
  Purposes and coverage of licensing
 
 
2. Automatic licences include the Pr ior Automatic Import Licence (LAPI), which covers imports 
of, inter alia , the following products:  footwear parts, paper in reams and rolls, textiles (cotton and 
synthetic yarn), parts and spare parts of agricu ltural and self-propelled machinery, cardboard boxes, 
telephone accessories, wooden furniture (bedroom fu rniture and cupboards), dried egg yolks and 
canned peaches;  and the Sworn Declaration of Pro duct Composition (DJCP), which covers the textile 
and clothing industry. 
 Non-automatic licences include the Footwear Import Certificate, the Paper Import Certificate, 
the Bicycle Import Certificate, the Household Goods  Import Certificate, the Toy Import Certificate, 
the Tyre and Tube Import Certificate, the Motorcyc le Import Certificate, the Ball Import Certificate, 
the Textile Product Import Certificate, the Footw ear Parts Import Certific ate, the Miscellaneous 
Manufactured Articles Import Certificate, the Product s of the Metal Industry Import Certificate, and 
the Yarn and Woven Fabrics Import Certificate.  
3. The system covers goods originating in and coming from all countries. 
4. Licensing does not restrict either the quantity or the value of imports.  The purpose of the 
system is to assess product compliance with safet y standards and to protect consumer rights by 
establishing the origin and source, as well as the composition and quality, of imported goods. 
5. The legal basis is the Agreement on Import Li censing Procedures of the GATT 1994, which 
is incorporated into Argentine legislation by way of Law 24.425. 
 Licensing is statutorily required for certain types of goods, the Ministry of Industry being the 
sole body to designate, through resolutions, products subject to licensing.   The Executive does not need legislative appr oval to abolish the import licensing system. 
 Procedures
 
 
6. I. These are non-quota licences.  Licence application, processing and notification procedures are 
published in the Official Journal. 
 The Directorate-General of Customs handles such matters. 
 
 Some derogations were provided for in the cu rrent regulations for each licence.  Exceptions 
are analysed on an individual b asis in response to a written submission by the interested party 
to the Undersecretariat for Trade Policy and Ma nagement (Secretariat of Industry and Trade). 
 II. Licences administered by the Secretariat of Industry and Trade Enterprises are not subject to 
quotas. 
 III. Safety requirements apply to both importers and domestic manufacturers. 
  Certificates are issued and must be presente d together with the rest of the documentation 
required for inward customs clearance. 
 
 Licences administered by the Secretariat of Industry and Trade are not subject to quotas and 
are therefore not added to quotas for a succeeding period. 
  The names of importers to whom licences ha ve been allocated are made known upon request.  G/LIC/N/3/ARG/6 
 Page 3 
 
 
  IV. Licences administered by the Secretariat of Industry and Trade are not subject to quotas. 
 V. LAPI and DJCP:  a minimum of two and a maximum of ten working days.   Import certificates for footwear, paper, house hold goods, bicycles, toys, tyres and tubes, 
motorcycles, balls, textile products, footwear parts, miscellaneous manufactured articles, 
products of the metal industry, and yarns a nd woven fabrics:  a minimum of ten and a 
maximum of 60 calendar days, using the simulta neous examination of applications method. 
 VI. See question 14 below on periods of import licence validity. 
 
VII. LAPI:  The Directorate-General of Customs alone.  The Secretariat of Industry and Trade is 
also involved in cases of changed circumstanc es where licences are cancelled to amend some 
of the data furnished. 
 
 DJCP:  The Secretariat of Industry and Trade alone. 
  Import certificates:  The Secretariat of Industry and Trade.  VIII. The simultaneous examination of applications method is used for the processing of all import 
licences. 
 
IX. See point IV above.  X. The above-mentioned licensing procedures do not include such a mechanism.  
XI. No. 
 7. (a) Applications for licences may be submitte d on any working day prior to the customs 
clearance of the goods. 
 The only cases in which licences may be obtained within a shorter time-limit are applications 
for automatic import licences either for perishable  goods or critical inputs for a sector of the 
domestic industry or for products which are cove red by the licence and the value or quantity 
of which is minimal in relation to the rest of the goods making up the import. 
 (b) The minimum lengths of time specified  in point V above apply in all cases. 
 
(c) There are no restrictions as to the period of the year during which an application for a licence 
may be made. 
 (d) Licence applications are examined by the Secretariat of Industry and Trade.  8. The only reason for a non-automatic import licen ce being refused is failure to meet the 
ordinary criteria.  The interested party is always not ified of such reasons so that the errors detected 
can be rectified. 
Eligibility of importers to apply for licence
 
 
9. All importers are eligible to apply for licences,  the only requirement being inclusion in the 
Directorate-General of Customs' Register of Importers. 
 G/LIC/N/3/ARG/6 
Page 4  
 
  Documentation and other requireme nts for application for licence
 
 
10. The information required for import licence applic ations is that specified on the respective 
forms (see Annexes to current regulations). 
11. - The LAPI (Prior Automatic Import Licence), processed by the MARIA computer 
system (SIM) 
- The DJCP (Sworn Declaration of Product Composition) - The CIC (Footwear Import Certificate) - The CIP (Paper Import Certificate) - The CIAH (Household Goods Import Certificate) 
- The CIB (Bicycle Import Certificate) 
- The CICC (Tyre and Tube Import Certificate) - The CIJ (Toy Import Certificate) - The CIM (Motorcycle Import Certificate) - The CIP (Ball Import Certificate) 
- The CIPT (Textile Product Import Certificate) 
- The CIPC (Footwear Parts Import Certificate) - The CIMD (Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles Import Certificate) - The CIPM (Products of the Metal Industry Import Certificate) - The CIHT (Yarn and Woven Fabrics Import Certificate) 
 
12. Pursuant to Resolution No. 44/2003, there is currently no licensing fee or administrative 
charge. 
13. No deposit or advance payment requirement is associated with the issue of licences. 
Conditions of licensing
 
14. The periods of validity of the various import licences are as follows: 
- LAPI:  60 calendar days as from the date of processing. 
- DJCP:  360 calendar days as from the date of issue. - CIC:  60 calendar days as from the date of issue. - CIP:  120 calendar days as from the date of issue. - CIAH:  60 calendar days as from the date of issue. - CIB:  60 calendar days as from the date of issue. 
- CICC:  60 calendar days as from the date of issue. 
- CIJ:  60 calendar days as from the date of issue. - CIM:  60 calendar days as from the date of issue. - CIP:  120 calendar days as from the date of issue. - CIPT:  60 calendar days as from the date of issue. 
- CIPC:  60 calendar days as from the date of issue. 
- CIMD:  60 calendar days as from the date of issue. - CIPM:  60 calendar days as from the date of issue. - CIHT:  60 calendar days as from the date of issue. 
  Licences may not be extended.  A new licen ce may, however, be issued, for which the 
importer can commence the application procedures as  far in advance as he considers appropriate. 
 15. There are no penalties for the non-utilization of a licence or portion of a licence. 
  G/LIC/N/3/ARG/6 
 Page 5 
 
 
  16. Licences are non-transferable and are only deliv ered to the holders themselves or their 
authorized and duly accredited representatives or agents. 
17. No other conditions are attached  to the issue of a licence. 
Other procedural requirements  
18. No other administrative procedures are required prior to importation. 
19. The banking authorities are not involved in import licensing. 
 
__________