WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/LIC/N/3/ARG/5 
10 September 2008 
 
 (08-4252) 
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  
 
ARGENTINA 
   The following notification, dated 11 August 2 008, has been received from the delegation of 
Argentina. 
 
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 Outline of systems
 
 
1. Two types of import licence are administered at  present by the Secretariat of Industry, Trade 
and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises:  automatic  and non-automatic.  Automatic import licences, 
as their name suggests, are granted on the basis of a single requirement, namely compliance 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 Impor t Licensing Procedures.  Applications for non-
automatic licences are consistent with Article 3 of  this Agreement, which is incorporated into 
Argentine legislation by way of Law 24.425.   Automatic import licences currently being admi nistered include the Sworn Declaration of 
Product Composition (DJCP) and the Prior Automatic Import Licence (LAPI).  Procedures for the 
DJCP are manual and applications are submitted to th e Directorate of Imports 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 fo r the historical records, which, in turn, enables 
their trend to be analysed.  This would prove u seful 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 with current statutory requi rements with regard to consumers' rights and 
submit the corresponding application to the Dir ectorate-General of Customs when requesting 
clearance documents for imports of consumer goods. 
 
Purposes and coverage of licensing
 
 2. Automatic licences include th e Prior 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, 
                                                     
 
1 See G/LIC/3, Annex, for the Questionnaire. G/LIC/N/3/ARG/5 
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  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 Footwear Parts Import Certificate and the Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles Import Certificate.  
3. The system applies to goods origin ating 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. Licensing is maintained under the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures of the GATT 1994, which is incorporated into Arge ntine legislation by way of Law 24.425. 
  Licensing is statutorily required for certain types of goods.  
 The Ministry of the Economy and Production is the only body to designate, through 
resolutions, products subject to licensing.   The Executive does not need legislative approval to abolish the licensing system.  
Procedures
 
 6.I. These are non-quota licences.  Licence applica tion, 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 basis in response to a written submission by the interested party 
to the Undersecretariat for Trade Policy and Management (Secretariat of Industry, Trade and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises). 
 
II. Licences administered by the Secretariat of Industry, Trade and Small and Medium-Sized 
Enterprises are not subject to quotas. 
 III. Safety requirements apply to both importers and domestic manufacturers. 
 
 Certificates are issued and must be presented together with the rest of the documentation 
required for inward customs clearance. 
  Licences administered by the Secretariat of Industry, Trade and Small and Medium-Sized 
Enterprises are not subject to quotas and are th erefore 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/5 
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  IV. Licences administered by the Secretariat of Industry, Trade and Small and Medium-Sized 
Enterprises 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 and sweaters, footwear part s and miscellaneous manufactured articles:  a 
minimum of ten and a maximum of 30 calendar days. 
 VI. See point 14 below on periods of import licence validity. 
 
VII. LAPI:  The Directorate-General of Customs alone.  The Secretariat of Industry, Trade and 
Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises is also involved in cases of changed circumstances 
where licences are cancelled to amend some of the data furnished. 
 
 DJCP:  The Secretariat of Industry, Trade and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises alone. 
  Import certificates:  The Secretariat of I ndustry, Trade and Sma ll and Medium-Sized 
Enterprises, and the Undersecretariat for Consumer Protection. 
 VIII. The allocation of all import licences to appli cants is on a first come, first served basis. 
 
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 submitted 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 S ecretariat of Industry, Trade and Small and 
Medium-Sized Enterprises. 
 
8. The only reason for a non-automatic import li cence 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 licen ces, the only requirement being inclusion in the 
Directorate-General of Customs' Register of Importers.  G/LIC/N/3/ARG/5 
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  Documentation and other requirements for application for licence
 
 10. The information required for import licence app lications is that specified on the respective 
forms (see Annexes to current regulations).  
11. - The Prior Automatic Import Licence (LAPI), processed by the MARIA computer 
system (SIM) 
- The Sworn Declaration of Product Composition (DJCP) 
- The Footwear Import Certificate (CIC) 
- The Paper Import Certificate (CIP) 
- The Household Goods Import Certificate (CIAH) 
- The Bicycle Import Certificate (CIB) 
- The Tyre and Tube Import Certificate (CICC) 
- The Toy Import Certificate (CIJ) 
- The Motorcycle Import Certificate (CIM) 
- The Ball Import Certificate (CIP) 
- The Textile Product Import Certificate (CIPT) 
- The Footwear Parts Import Certificate (CIPC) 
- The Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles Import Certificate (CIMD) 
 12. Pursuant to Resolution No. 44/2003, there is currently no licensing fee or administrative 
charge. 
 13. No deposit or advan ce payment requirement is associat ed 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. 
 
 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. 
 
16. Licences are non-transferable and are only de livered to the holders themselves or their 
authorized and duly accredited representatives or agents.  17. No other conditions are attach ed to the issue of a licence. 
  G/LIC/N/3/ARG/5 
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  Other procedural requirements  
 18. No other administrative procedures are required prior to importation.  19. The banking authorities are not involved in import licensing. 
 
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