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Resolution SENASA N° 816 

BUENOS AIRES, 4 October 2002

HAVING SEEN File No. 1218/2002 of the register of the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD 

HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE, and 

WHEREAS:

The Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office proposes review and 

updating of the standards regulating imports of animals; reproductive material; precursory 

life forms; zootherapeutics; biologicals; fertilizers; animal feed; plants; plant parts; soil 

dressings; organic support and/or growth media; biological control organisms; products, by 

products and derivatives of animal and/or plant origin; and goods and/or inputs whose 

components consist of or include ingredients of animal or plant origin; that fall under the 

responsibility of the above-mentioned office.

The terms of Laws Nos. 3959, 4084, 17,160 and 18,284; Decrees Nos. 83732 dated 3 June 

1936, 6704 dated 12 August 1963, 4238 dated 19 July 1968, 2126 dated 30 June 1971, 

1812 dated 29 September 1992, 1585 dated 19 December 1996, 815 dated 26 July 1999 and 

394 dated 1 April 2001; Resolutions Nos. 202 dated 1 April 1992 and 668 dated 10 August 

1994, both issued by the former Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries]; 

Resolutions Nos. 758 dated 13 October 1997 and 292 dated 10 December 1998 issued by

the former Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food; Resolution No. 69 dated 

15 January 1999 issued by the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY 

SERVICE; and Resolution No. 228 dated 8 July 1999 and its amendment No. 782 dated 23 

November 1999 issued by the former MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, 

FISHERIES AND FOOD, make it feasible to implement procedures for imports of goods 

of animal or plant origin that, while ensuring quality and safeguarding public, plant and 

animal health in the above-mentioned procedures, adapt to the changes required for 

marketing at the world level.

The purpose of this proposal is to combine various standards relating to imports of goods of 

animal or plant origin, thereby establishing clear procedures for each modality in an effort 

to streamline control.

Based on experience acquired, it has been deemed appropriate to introduce these changes 

while maintaining the quality requirements and sanitary criteria that help minimize the risk 

of introducing diseases or pests through goods that endanger public health as well as the 

zoosanitary and/or phytosanitary status of our territory.

In this regard, the proposed amendments consist of actions that must be taken in matters of 

human and animal health by the National Administration and/or the National Plant Health 

Protection Organization, and, along these lines, included in international agreements, 

including those in effect within the framework of the (MERCOSUR.

The structural changes to the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY 

SERVICE as of the entry into force of Decree No. 1585 dated 19 December 1996 make it 

advisable to introduce the proposed amendments, including those that facilitate verification 

of compliance with applicable identity, hygiene and sanitary, phytosanitary, zoosanitary, 

quality, purity, stability, packing and transport standards, prior to the entry of goods or 

authorization of their use.

The ARGENTINE REPUBLIC has adhered to the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) 
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Agreements and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) of the WORLD TRADE 

ORGANIZATION (WTO) and to the concepts and principles resulting there from.

Resolution No. 32 dated 4 May 2001 of the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND 

QUALITY SERVICE confers upon the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications 

Coordination Office responsibilities for preventing the risk of introduction and spread of 

emergent and/or high risk exotic diseases in animals and regulated quarantine and nonquarantine pests in plants, entrusting that office with streamlining import procedures and 

preserving animal, plant and public health without hindering trade.

SENASA File No. 13,428/2001 constitutes an agreement between the various offices of 

this body with respect to auditing procedures to be used abroad for purposes of their 

implementation.

The various competent technical areas have issued opinions with respect to the proposed 

amendments.

The Legal Affairs Directorate has been involved in the process in keeping with its 

authorities.

It is appropriate to issue this ruling in accordance with the terms of Article 8 e) of Decree 

No. 1585 dated 19 December 1996, which was replaced by similar Decree No. 394 dated 1 

April 2001.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL 

AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE

THEREFORE RESOLVES:

ARTICLE 1.- When presented with a request for import authorization and for purposes of 

carrying out the corresponding risk analysis from the point of view of plant or animal 

health, as applicable, the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY 

SERVICE may order an audit of the entire health system of origin or a specific audit, as it 

deems necessary, based on available information, including in that audit a review of the 

structure and efficiency of services, control systems, quarantine procedures, 

epidemiological monitoring system, import control, prevention measures, inspection of 

production establishments, manufacturing plants, warehouses, breeding centres, etc., 

reference and diagnostic laboratories, residue control programs, among others, according to 

the procedures that appear in Annex I, which forms part of this Resolution. 

ARTICLE 2.- Any individual, corporation or de facto company that wishes to carry out 

imports of live animals; reproductive material; precursory life forms; plants; plant parts; 

products, byproducts or derivatives of animal or plant origin; or goods and/or inputs whose 

components consist of or contain ingredients of animal or plant origin, that fall under the 

responsibility of this National Service and require prior authorization, must be previously 

entered in the register kept by the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination 

Office, in compliance with Resolution No. 492 dated 6 November 2001 of the NATIONAL 

AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE.

ARTICLE 3.- The competent authority in public and animal health matters, and/or the 

national plant health protection organization of the country of origin and/or shipment, when 

the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE so requests, must 

guarantee auditable traceability systems for animals; reproductive material; precursory life 

forms; zootherapeutics; biologicals; fertilizers; animal feed; plants; plant parts; soil 

dressings, organic support and/or growth media; biological control organisms; products, 

byproducts and derivatives of animal or plant origin; or goods and/or inputs whose 
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components consist of or contain ingredients of animal or plant origin; throughout the 

production and marketing chain from the place of origin through to shipment to the 

ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. The NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY 

SERVICE reserves the right to audit that traceability and the documentation pertaining 

thereto where it deems necessary, as established in this Resolution.

ARTICLE 4.- All new requests for the importation of products, byproducts and derivatives 

of animal origin or goods and/or inputs whose components consist of or contain ingredients 

of animal origin, that fall under the responsibility of the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD 

HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE and come from a new plant in a country exporting 

to ours, or from a new plant in any country, shall be subject to prior inspection of same, 

though exceptions may be granted where deemed appropriate by this National Service. In

addition, plants that manufacture goods for industrial use may be exempted provided that 

such goods are not intended for human or animal use in any of their forms and that 

importation of those goods does not involve a health risk arising from their origin or place 

of shipment, product or intended use. In such cases, prior approval of the plant could be a 

condition for authorizing the import. Authorizations shall have a term of TWO (2) years. If

the Service is unable to re-inspect such plants once that term has expired, the authorization 

may be extended where deemed necessary.

Countries with which there is a mutual agreement to authorize plants (pre-listing) or 

official agreements between the parties, or establishments therein, are exempt.

In the case of plants already authorized on the date of entry into effect of this Resolution, 

said authorization shall be deemed to have expired once TWO (2) years have transpired 

from the time of their authorization to export to our country, and a new authorization shall 

be required. An extension to that authorization may be granted by the NATIONAL AGRIFOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE at its discretion. Those plants or the countries 

in which they are located shall request, once the TWO (2) year term has expired, or prior to 

that time, a visit to ensure continuity of exports to our country. SENASA may, where it 

deems appropriate, extend the authorization without fulfilling this requirement.

ARTICLE 5.- Slaughtering establishments, manufacturing establishments and/or 

warehouses for products, byproducts, and derivatives of animal origin, animal inputs and 

goods with animal components from any country, from which imports have been 

previously authorized may be inspected where the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH 

AND QUALITY SERVICE so rules. Countries whose establishments are not authorized on 

the date of publication of this ruling and who export their products to our country, are given 

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY (180) calendar days to request inspection of those 

establishments. If requests to that effect are not obtained from the countries or interested 

parties within that period, once the latter has transpired, suspension of imports from 

establishments in that country may be ordered. The Service shall, when presented with 

requests, stipulate a date for conducting the visit to that country. The inspections carried 

out in any such case may be accompanied by an audit by the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD 

HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE that includes, among other aspects, the structure and 

efficiency of the Health Services, manufacturing and control processes, animal health 

aspects, certification and residue control systems, laboratories, etc., for purposes of issuing 

a ruling on the feasibility of authorizing those plants.

ARTICLE 6.- Where reasons of a public or animal health nature so warrant, any 

establishment from amongst those authorized to export to the ARGENTINE REPUBLIC 

may be inspected, and that authorization may be revoked where the stipulated conditions 
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are not met, including establishments authorized by pre-listing or official agreements 

between parties.

ARTICLE 7°.- Fruit and vegetable packing plants shall be authorized in the place of origin 

for exporting to the ARGENTINE REPUBLIC, where the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD 

HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE deems necessary.

ARTICLE 8o.- Where required or deemed necessary, all expenses generated by inspection 

in the place of origin by personnel of this organization as established in this Resolution for 

purposes of analyzing the feasibility of exporting products to the ARGENTINE 

REPUBLIC shall be for the account of the exporting country, requesting party and/or 

interested party in the commercial procedure. The same shall apply where the NATIONAL 

AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE considers it necessary to conduct a 

visit to a country for purposes of in situ verification of all matters related to exports headed 

for the ARGENTINE REPUBLIC.

ARTICLE 9.- Approval is hereby ordered of the Procedure for the approval and 

notification of phytosanitary and zoosanitary requirements for imports of animals; 

reproductive material; precursory life forms; zootherapeutics; biologicals; fertilizers; 

animal feed; plants; plant parts; soil dressings; organic support and/or growth media; 

biological control organisms; products, byproducts and derivatives of animal or plant 

origin; or goods and/or inputs whose components consist of or contain ingredients of 

animal or plant origin that appear in Annex II, which forms part of this Resolution.

ARTICLE 10.- Approval is hereby ordered of the administrative procedure for processing 

imports of products, byproducts or derivatives of animal origin, or goods and/or inputs 

whose components consist of or contain ingredients of animal origin as it appears in Annex 

III, which forms part of this Resolution.

ARTICLE 11.- The Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office is hereby 

authorized to establish and amend phytosanitary and zoosanitary requirements for imports 

of animals; reproductive material; precursory life forms; zootherapeutics; biologicals; 

fertilizers; animal feed; plants; plant parts; soil dressings; organic support and/or growth 

media; biological control organisms; products, byproducts and derivatives of animal or 

plant origin; or goods and/or inputs whose components consist of or contain ingredients of 

animal or plant origin. That office shall also generate the mechanisms and procedures 

necessary for the establishment of phytosanitary and zoosanitary requirements as well as 

the administrative procedures for authorizing the corresponding imports in each case, and 

may prohibit or suspend the entry into the National Territory of goods under the 

responsibility of the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE 

where technical or emergency conditions so warrant.

ARTICLE 12.- Resolutions Nos. 1354 dated 27 October 1994 and 1415 dated 17 

November 1994, both issued by the former NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH SERVICE, 

in the Administrative procedure for processing imports of live animals and reproductive 

material, are to remain in effect.

ARTICLE 13.- Approval is hereby ordered of the Administrative Procedure for processing 

imports of plants; plant parts; organic support and/or growth media [issuance of the 

Autorización Fitosanitaria de Importación (Phytosanitary Import Authorization)] (AFIDI);

products, byproducts, derivatives of plant origin or goods and/or inputs whose components 

consist of or contain ingredients of plant origin; that appears in Annex IV, which forms part 

of this Resolution.

ARTICLE 14.- Provision No. 165 dated 20 March 1986, Resolution No. 630 dated 23 May 
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1994 of the former NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH SERVICE, Resolution No. 416 dated 

4 November 1994 of the former INSTITUTO ARGENTINO DE SANIDAD and CALIDAD 

VEGETAL [Argentine Institute of Plant Health and Quality] and Resolution No. 1508 dated 

21 September 2000 of the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY 

SERVICE are hereby revoked.

ARTICLE 15.- The scope of Articles 1, 2, 4 and 5 of Resolution No. 202 dated 1 August 

1992 and Articles 1, 2 and 4 of Resolution No. 668 dated 10 August 1994, both of the 

former MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK AND FISHERIES, is hereby 

restricted.

ARTICLE 16.- The scope of Resolution No. 758 dated 13 October 1997 of the former 

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK AND FISHERIES AND FOOD is hereby

restricted.

ARTICLE 17.- The terms of Resolution No. 492 dated 6 November 2001 of the 

NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE are to be expanded to 

include biological control organisms.

ARTICLE 18.- This Resolution shall enter into effect as of the day following its 

publication in the Official Gazette.

ARTICLE 19.- Non-compliance with any of the procedures set out in this standard shall 

result in application of the penalties set out in Chapter VI, Article 18 and thereafter, of 

Decree No. 1585 dated 19 December 1996.

ARTICLE 20.- Be it known, published and forwarded to the National Official Registry for 

filing.

RESOLUTION NO.816
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Annex I

PROCEDURAL STANDARDS FOR THE AUDITING OF COUNTRIES EXPORTING 

PRODUCTS AND BY-PRODUCTS OF ANIMAL OR PLANT ORIGIN TO THE 

ARGENTINE REPUBLIC

In the context of products and by-products of animal or plant origin, on-site 

audits refer to the monitoring and inspection measures required to verify guarantees that the 

existing sanitary and phytosanitary standards, and sanitary and public health policy are 

being implemented.

These guarantees must, at a minimum, be those agreed to between a nonmember country and the Argentine Republic, or those established in multilateral 

agreements.

The Argentine health authorities will notify in advance the country that they 

wish to audit, and request an agreement to set a date for the visit. The agreement will 

include the type of products and the program to be followed.

Under no circumstance may the information and comments collected during 

the audit mission or its conclusions be used for personal ends, or communicated to persons 

not associated with SENASA the state Agri-Food Health and Quality Service.

SENASA will certify the findings of the mission in a written report that it 

will submit within thirty (30) business days, provided that the country visited provides any 

additional information requested during the mission.

Should a significant risk to public, animal or plant health have been 

uncovered during the mission, the report will be presented as soon as possible, and in any

case, within ten (10) business days of the end of the mission.

Once the report with the findings of the mission has been delivered to the 

audited country, the audited country will have twenty (20) business days in which to make 

any necessary comments and suggest corrections.

Any comments and corrections proposed will be analyzed by SENASA and 

will be incorporated into the final report if they are considered pertinent. If they are not 

incorporated, they will be included in a footnote as the opinion of the audited country.

SENASA will use the corrections received to write the final report.

A. PROTOCOL FOR ANIMAL HEALTH AUDITS

INDEX

The final written report should include the titles and page numbers for the 

following:
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1. INTRODUCTION 

a) Country.

b) Date of mission.

c) Argentine experts on the mission.

d) Accompanying officials from the country visited.

e) Program with audit schedule.

2. OBJECTIVES

Describe the objectives of the animal health mission (FMD/CSF/BSE, etc.).

a) Name the competent authorities to be interviewed (central, regional and local levels).

b) Visits and technical meetings in the corresponding areas at the central level.

c) Visits to local and/or regional offices (provincial/state, etc.).

d) Visits to:

- reference laboratories;

- public diagnostic laboratories;

- private diagnostic laboratories.

e) Visits to slaughterhouses, processing and/or packaging plants and warehouses, that 

export to the Argentine Republic.

f) Other visits:

- establishments that supply animals for slaughtering, whose meat is to be exported 

to the Argentine Republic;

- insemination centres whose semen, embryos or eggs are exported to the Argentine 

Republic;

- establishments that prepare livestock feed;

- inspection post at sanitary barrier;

- border sanitary inspection post;

- livestock markets.

3. LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR MISSION

List the standards that must be met by the products exported to the Argentine Republic 

by the country that is the subject of the inspection mission.

4. CONTEXT OF THE MISSION

4.1. History of the disease (under inspection) during recent years:

Provide a brief summary of its onset, measures taken to control it, use of vaccines 

(type, application), disease eradication, serologic testing, methods used, restricted 

animal movement, control and eradication programs.

4.2. Summary of the last mission undertaken in the country:

To be completed at a later date. State observations made and give address for the 

web page where the complete report for the mission can be read.

4.3. Evolution of the disease, since the last visit:

To be completed at a later date.

4.4. Production and marketing information:
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Record the volumes produced by the audited country (if relevant, by regions or 

zones) and the tonnes of product exported to the Argentine Republic (please provide 

ONE multi-year cycle).

5. OBSERVATIONS

5.1. Competent authorities:

5.1.1. Organization of Veterinary Services.

5.1.1.1. Central competent authorities: describe the type of organization and 

its position in the national organization chart; structure and 

jurisdictions, both technical and administrative, with their legal 

framework. Procedures manuals at the different levels.

5.1.1.2. Regional authorities: describe their jurisdiction and autonomy.

Clearly describe this point for those countries (like Spain and 

Germany) where the regions are very independent from the central 

government.

5.1.1.3. Local authorities: describe the jurisdiction and responsibilities of the 

local authority; their knowledge of the standards for which they are 

responsible; record-keeping of activities and animals; reporting and 

notification to their superiors (provincial, regional and central) of 

having taken the actions for which they are responsible. The same 

applies to cases involving a slaughterhouse or food-processing plant.

5.1.2. Financial and human resources.

How does it obtain its resources and how are they distributed (equipment, 

education and training courses, salaries, maintenance of operating capacity, 

etc.).

5.1.3. Transparency policy.

Notification of the onset of the disease that is being audited (whether the 

Office international de épizooties (OIE) and the Argentine Republic are 

notified; whether the information is posted on its web page, etc.); whether the 

microorganisms are sent to an international or regional reference laboratory 

for typing.

5.2. Animal registration:

Animal identification system used in the country. Registration of livestock 

establishments.

5.3. Control of animal movements.

Animal transit document. How are changes in animal ownership verified and 

recorded, both internally and for imported animals.

5.4. National Epidemiological Surveillance System

5.4.1. Notification and management of outbreaks (FMD/CSF/BSE, etc.)
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5.4.1.1. Rules in force before the onset of the disease; who gives notice of a 

suspected outbreak; implementation period for the competent 

authority.

5.4.1.2. Measures taken before the onset of the disease: samples taken, 

movement of animals and animal-derived products.

5.4.1.3. Epidemiological survey: management of the epidemiological 

information in the findings.

5.4.2. Components and Structure of the National System

5.5. Measures taken in the outbreak area and surrounding area:

5.5.1. Immobilization period for animals and animal-derived products, as well for 

all the materials at risk for the disease.

5.5.2. Restrictions on animal movements and animals sent for slaughter whose 

products could be exported to the Argentine Republic.

5.6. Vaccination:

5.6.1. Characteristics of the vaccines used (type of microorganisms, inactivators 

used, adjuvants, duration of immunity) processed by private or public 

corporations; who performs quality control, etc.

5.6.2. National or regional vaccination programs:

Monitoring of animals subjected to vaccination programs, frequency, doses; 

who monitors the storage and transport of the vaccine; who administers it 

(public or private); who certifies the inoculation; identification of vaccinated 

animals.

5.7. Laboratories:

5.7.1. National reference laboratory: budget, condition of building and laboratories, 

equipment, organization, personnel, records and protocols for sampling and 

results; management of information and results.

5.7.2. Network laboratories: rating systems and audit records. Condition of the 

building and of the laboratories, diagnostic methods used (with their 

procedures manuals), time lapsed between receipt and return of results. 

Systems for communicating with the person returning the samples and with 

the officials who must be sent the information.

5.8. Establishments for the slaughter, processing and/or packaging and warehousing of 

animal-derived products:

5.8.1. Special rating, if required.

5.8.2. Competent authority: identification of official, knowledge of the pertinent 

legislation, records of sanitary certificates, animal movement certificates, 

“ante-mortem" appraisals (identification of animals, records of animals that 

arrived with symptoms or lesions caused by disease) and “post-mortem" 
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appraisals (records of observations of lesions or confiscation). Records of 

compliance with specific requirements for exports to the Argentine Republic.

Risk-mitigation manuals for the diseases being audited.

5.8.3. Traceability from the animal's arrival to the packaged products in the 

warehouse.

5.8.4. Waste treatment: manner in which waste is destroyed in order to prevent the 

contamination and spread of the disease.

5.8.5. Certification: system used to guarantee the veracity of the information 

entered on the certificate and the use of the model certificates approved by

SENASA that set the requirements for entry into the Argentine Republic.

6. CONCLUSIONS

6.1. Competent authority: must describe the outcome of the audit at the different levels 

of the organization of the responsible authority.

6.2. Record-keeping by establishments: analysis of observations with regard to 

knowledge of the establishments where animals are kept.

6.3. Animal identification: opinion on the system used to guarantee the origin of the 

animals that will supply the products for exportation.

6.4. Monitoring of farm movements: appraisal of the system that guarantees animal 

movements and the immobilization of diseased animals.

6.5. Notification and management of outbreaks or diseased animals (BSE):

Comments on the system used for the notification of a disease or of suspected cases. 

In addition, actions implemented to contain the disease and to avoid contaminating 

other susceptible animals or their products.

6.6. National disease program: comments on the plan implemented to control the disease.

6.7. Laboratories: level of training, management of samples and the protocols of the 

national reference laboratory. Comments on the network laboratories.

6.8. Certification: comments on the manner in which the country guarantees the veracity 

of the sanitary certificates.

7. FINAL MEETING

Once the on-site inspection has been completed, the SENASA experts will provide the 

country's official authorities with an oral report on their conclusions from the audit, and 

if appropriate, on corrective measures that should be implemented, as well as their 

degree of urgency.

A mission report will be drawn up based on all the information collected under the 

protocol, and must include:

- Conclusions,

- Recommendations:

 for the official authorities of the country visited

 for SENASA authorities.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS
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8.1. For the authorities of the country visited:

In this case, state any observations made during the audit that should be corrected 

in order to continue to allow entry of the product(s) originating in the inspected 

country.

8.2. For SENASA audits

Provide any suggestions for SENASA to:

 strengthen the controls over this product

 raise the requirements for accepting the product, or

 suspend entry of the product until the [exporting] country guarantees to 

correct the problems observed

 suspend the establishment that produced the product.

9. APPENDIXES

Comments issued by the official authorities of the audited country for the draft mission 

report submitted by SENASA must be included. If there are corrections to be made 

directly or clarifications, if appropriate, these are recorded in the footnotes.

Similarly, maps, charts, and statistics may also be included.

B- PROTOCOL FOR AUDITING MEAT-PROCESSING ESTABLISHMENTS.

INDEX

1. INTRODUCTION.

2. MISSION OBJECTIVES.

3. LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE MISSION.

4. CONTEXT OF THE MISSION.

4.1. Summary of findings from previous missions.

4.2. Reasons for current mission.

4.3. Production and marketing information.

5. OBSERVATIONS.

5.1. The competent authorities.

5.2. Ranking procedures for establishments.

5.3. Separation of national production from production for export to the Argentine 

Republic (including animal traceability and identification).

5.4. Certification.

5.5. Security of production controls.

5.5.1. Official monitoring of production conditions.
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5.5.2. “Ante-mortem” inspection.

5.5.3. “Post-mortem” inspection.

5.5.4. Structure and maintenance of establishments.

5.5.5. Self-inspection of establishments.

5.5.6. Traceability of meat.

5.5.7. Training programs for personnel at the establishments.

5.5.8. Medical certificate for workers.

5.5.9. Water quality.

5.6. Animal well-being.

5.7. Monitoring of animal health.

5.8. Laboratory service.

6. CONCLUSIONS

6.1. Structure and powers of the competent authority.

6.2. Procedures for approving establishments.

6.3. Monitoring of food security.

6.4. Certification.

6.5. Separation of production for export (including animal traceability and 

identification).

6.6. Animal well-being.

(if considered necessary)

6.7. Final exportation controls.

6.7.1 Controls at border or at shipping plants for embarkation.

6.7.2. Controls at loading point: processing plants, other locations, or port or air 

loading terminals, etc.

7. FINAL MEETING.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS.

8.1. To the competent authorities of the inspected country.

8.2. To SENASA authorities.

9. APPENDIXES

Lists of establishments authorized to export by the official health agency. 

C. PROTOCOL FOR AUDITING RESIDUE-MONITORING PROGRAMS.

INDEX

1. INTRODUCTION.

2. MISSION OBJECTIVES.
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3. LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE MISSION .

4. CONTEXT OF THE MISSION .

4.1. Summary of findings from previous missions.

4.2. Reasons for current mission.

4.3. Production and marketing information.

5. OBSERVATIONS.

5.1. The competent authorities, structure and power.

5.2. Residues monitoring program.

5.2.1. Legal framework for residues monitoring program.

5.2.2. Coverage of the residues monitoring program.

5.2.3. General sampling (monitoring) and sampling of suspicious animals.

5.2.4. Information on test results under the national residue monitoring plan.

5.2.5. Procedures for implementing the national residue monitoring plan. General 

criteria of the plan (size of sampling and statistical basis) and risk analysis. 

Criteria for drafting annual plans.

5.2.6. Database of infractions, corrective measures for irregularities and their legal 

framework.

5.3. Availability of veterinary drugs.

5.3.1. Legal framework.

5.3.2. Veterinary drugs prohibited for use in animal feed.

5.3.3. Growth hormones (GHs).

5.3.4. Restrictions on the use of GHs in livestock establishments registered for 

slaughter operations.

5.3.5. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

5.3.6. Drug ingredients used for purposes other than those indicated.

5.4. Control of the production and distribution of GHs and veterinary drugs.

5.6. Maximum residue limit (MRL) for pesticides and heavy metals.

5.7. In-depth investigation. 

5.7.1. In-depth investigation in case anabolic substances were used, in compliance 

with Resolution 397/97

5.7.2. In-depth investigation in case of MRL violations, in compliance with 

Resolution 125/98.

5.8. Animal identification.

5.9. Laboratory performance.

5.9.1. Quality management – Quality Security (QS).

5.9.2. Analytical performance.
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5.9.3. Direction from SENASA's national reference laboratory for network 

laboratories.

6. CONCLUSIONS

6.1. Structure and jurisdiction of the competent authority.

6.2. Residues monitoring program.

6.3. Availability of veterinary drugs.

6.4. Control of the production and distribution of GHs and veterinary drugs.

6.5. Maximum residue limit (MRL) for veterinary drugs and levels of administrative 

action.

6.6. Maximum residue limit (MRL) for pesticides and heavy metals.

6.7. In-depth investigation.

6.8. Animal identification.

6.9. Laboratory performance.

6.10. Overall conclusion.

7. FINAL MEETING.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS.

8.1. For the competent authorities of the inspected country

8.2. For SENASA authorities

9. APPENDIXES

D. PROTOCOL FOR AUDITING DAIRY-PRODUCT PROGRAMS.

INDEX

1. INTRODUCTION.

2. MISSION OBJECTIVES.

3. LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE MISSION .

4. CONTEXT OF THE MISSION.

4.1. Summary of findings from previous missions.

4.2. Reasons for current mission.

4.3. Production and marketing information.

4.3.1. Milk production.

4.3.2. Dairy products exported to Argentina.

4.3.3. Dates of the last ten (10) exportations (if available)

4.3.4. National livestock herd
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4.3.5. Dairy herd, dominant breeds.

4.3.6. Number of milking yards.

4.4. Health information.

4.4.1. Animal health status.

4.4.2. Animal diseases covered in OIE Lists A and B, their control systems.

4.4.3. Foodborne illnesses and zoonoses caused by dairy products. 

4.3.3.1. Control agencies.

5. OBSERVATIONS.

5.1. Standards regarding the collection, treatment and processing of milk, for products 

exported to the Argentine Republic.

5.1.1. Program on operational procedures.

5.1.2. EEC Directive 92/46 or directive required by SENASA.

5.1.3. National legislation.

5.2. Organization of the competent authority.

5.2.1. Structure of the National Service.

5.2.1.1. Competent central authority.

5.2.1.2. Competent regional authority.

5.2.1.3. Competent provincial authority.

5.2.2. Coordination of the different levels.

5.2.3. Program for monitoring milking yards and establishments receiving, treating 

and processing milk.

5.2.3.1. Inspection system for primary production.

5.2.3.2. System for monitoring the collection and transport of the raw 

material.

5.2.3.3. System and frequency of inspection at the treatment, processing and 

warehousing establishments for dairy products for exportation.

5.2.4. Inspector training courses.

5.3. Official system for monitoring export production.

5.3.1. National residues plan.

5.3.2. Sampling program for milk and dairy products.

5.3.2.1. Type of tests and parametres used.

5.3.3. Official program for water testing.

5.4. Network of officially recognized laboratories
16

5.4.1. Description.

5.4.2. National reference laboratory.

5.4.3. Coordination of laboratory network.

5.4.4. Officially authorized private laboratories.

5.4.5. Inside laboratories at dairy plants.

5.5. System for issuing official export certificates

5.6. Primary production (milking yards).

5.6.1. Structure

5.6.2. Equipment

5.6.3 Sanitary controls

5.7. System for monitoring raw-milk quality.

5.7.1. Level of quality values

5.7.2. Basis for raw-milk payment system

5.7.3. Laboratory that carries out the controls

5.7.3.1. Laboratory location

5.7.3.2. Methods used

5.7.3.3. Frequency of controls.

5.8. Establishment for receiving, treating and processing milk.

5.8.1. Documentation for official use.

5.8.2. Documentation for use in industry that includes traceability of production.

5.8.3. Controls for production system.

5.8.4. Use of the HAACP system.

5.8.5. Self-monitoring system.

5.8.6. Use of other systems.

5.8.7. General condition of building structures.

5.8.7.1. Sector divisions of the different facilities.

5.8.7.2. Planimetry

5.8.8. Use and approval of additives

5.8.9. Approval of products

5.8.10. Records 

5.8.11. Effluent

6. CONCLUSIONS

6.1. Hygiene standards for milk and dairy products applied to products exported to 

Argentina.

6.2. Organization of the competent authority.
17

6.3. Sampling program for exported products.

6.4. Network of official laboratories.

6.5. Official certification for exportation.

6.6. Milking yards.

6.7. Quality system for raw milk.

6.8. Milk processing plants.

7. FINAL CONCLUSION.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS.

8.1. For the competent authorities of the inspected country

8.2. For SENASA authorities

9. APPENDIXES

E. PROTOCOL FOR PHYTOSANITARY AUDITS

INDEX

1. INTRODUCTION.

1.1. Country

1.2. Date of the mission

1.3. Argentine experts on the mission.

1.4. Officials from the audited country accompanying the Argentine mission.

2. MISSION OBJECTIVES.

Describe the reasons for which the audit is carried out, which in general are to verify

various phytosanitary and/or quarantine issues.

3. LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE MISSION.

National standards, bilateral agreement, regional standards, international standards that 

establish the conditions that the exporting country must meet for products to be exported 

to Argentina.

4. CONTEXT OF THE MISSION.

4.1. Summary of findings from previous missions, if available.

4.2. Production and marketing information.

Description of crops in area, detailed description of the products that are to be 

exported, production volumes, volumes for export to the Argentine Republic.

4.3. Brief description of the pest or disease being studied. 

Monitoring systems, status, economic importance in the region.
18

5. PROGRESS OF THE MISSION.

5.1. GENERAL ASPECTS

5.1.1. The competent authorities

5.1.1.1. Organization of the phytosanitary protection services.

5.1.1.2 Central competent authorities: describe the type of organization and 

its position in the national organization chart; structure and 

jurisdictions, both technical and administrative, with their legal 

framework . Procedures manuals.

5.1.1.3. Regional authorities: describe their jurisdiction and autonomy.

Clearly describe this point for those countries where the regions are 

very independent from the central government.

5.1.1.4. Local authorities: describe their jurisdiction and responsibilities; their 

knowledge of the standards for which they are responsible; recordkeeping of activities and monitoring performed; notification to their 

superiors (provincial, regional and central) of actions taken. 

5.1.2. Financial and human resources.

How does it obtain its resources and how are they distributed (equipment, 

education and training courses, salaries, operating capacity, etc.). How does it 

fund its activities, organizational structure, personnel and administration unit.

5.1.3. In the case of audits of systems or protocols covered under the standards of 

the South Cone Plant Protection Committee [COSAVE - Comité de Sanidad 

Vegetal del Cono Sur] (pest-free areas, multi-stage risk-mitigation measures 

systems, etc.), all the points in the standards must be verified.

5.1.4. Pest identification laboratories: organization, recognition or rating, 

infrastructure available, personnel and training, methodology used, records of 

findings, traceability, management of information and findings, system for 

communicating findings, monitoring or audit systems, finalizing the 

methodologies to be used. 

5.1.5. Traceability: of pest monitoring programs, official monitoring performed in 

the country.

5.2. SPECIFIC ASPECTS

5.2.1. For rating nurseries.

5.2.1.1. Certification program for propagation material. Pests covered. System 

for obtaining initial material. Pre-propagation establishments. 

Monitoring of nurseries for mother plants. Monitoring of certified 

material (traceability).

5.2.1.2. Laboratories that take part in the certification program, laboratories 

that perform tests for the official monitoring of nurseries, laboratories 

that perform tests on material for export: organization, recognition or 
19

rating, infrastructure available, personnel and training, pests 

identified, methodology used, records of findings, traceability, 

management of the information and of the findings, system for 

communicating the findings, monitoring and audit systems, finalizing 

the methodologies to be used.

5.2.1.3. Official monitoring system for nurseries, mother plants, initial 

material and plants destined for production: inspections program, 

records. Sampling, record-keeping. Record-keeping and monitoring of 

the quantity and type of material produced by the nurseries. 

Traceability.

5.2.1.4. Pest control programs, if applicable: Notification and management of 

pest outbreaks requiring quarantine by the Argentine Republic.

5.2.1.5. Description of the nursery:

Organization, infrastructure, production, certified material production 

system. Production and sale of standard material. Traceability. Region 

producing material. Record-keeping of official inspections: of nursery 

material, basic monitoring and soil tests. Experience as export 

nursery: list the destinations and describe under what phytosanitary 

conditions the nursery exports or has exported. Potential for meeting 

the phytosanitary requirements of the Argentine Republic.

5.2.1.6. Official monitoring and certification for pests for which quarantine is 

required by importing countries. Possibility for monitoring and 

certification for pests for which quarantine is required by the 

Argentine Republic.

5.2.2. For quarantine-treatment facilities.

5.2.2.1. Chambers for fumigation with methyl bromide.

5.2.2.1.1. Documentation that confirms the ranking of the fumigation 

chamber, current instrument calibration (scales, chimney

sensor, system for recording temperature and events, 

portable thermometer) and personnel training (managers 

and operators) in charge of the chamber.

5.2.2.1.2. Tests: manual calibration of sensors and thermometer 

(mixture of crushed ice and distilled water), pressure (drop 

of fifty (50) millimetres of mercury column in a period of 

one hundred twenty (120) seconds), vacuum test (injection 

of thirty-two (32) grams per cubic metre of methyl bromide 

in the empty chamber).

5.2.2.1.3. Leak detection (instrument panel, pipes, dumpers, door, 

ceiling, walls).

5.2.2.1.4. Reading of the fumiscope (measurement of methyl bromide 

concentration (front, middle and rear)) thirty (30) minutes 

after injection and with the recirculation fans stopped.

5.2.2.2. Centres for cold-treatment application.
20

5.2.2.2.1. Documentation that confirms rating of cold chamber, 

current instrument calibration (system for recording 

temperature and events, portable thermometer) and 

personnel training (managers and operators) responsible for 

the chamber.

5.2.2.2.2. Manual calibration of sensors and thermometer (mixture of 

crushed ice and distilled water).

5.2.2.2.3. Report on system-test software for temperature recording 

and monitoring.

5.2.2.3. Hot-water treatment plant.

5.2.2.3.1. Documentation that confirms the ranking of the 

hydrothermal treatment plant, current instrument calibration 

(system for recording temperature and events, portable 

thermometer) and personnel training (managers and 

operators) responsible for the plant.

5.2.2.3.2. Report on system-test software for temperature recording 

and monitoring.

5.2.3. Miscellaneous.

6. CONCLUSIONS

Opinion on audit at government level. Opinion on audit in private sector. Certification: 

comments on the need for phytosanitary import authorization (autorización fitosanitaria 

de importación - AFIDI) in order to issue phytosanitary certificates for the Argentine 

Republic, its significance and relevance. Equivalencies of rate measurements required 

for each pest and guarantees of their performance.

7. FINAL MEETING

Once the visit is completed, SENASA experts will provide the country's phytosanitary

authorities with an oral report of their preliminary conclusions on the audit, and if 

appropriate, any corrective measures that should be implemented. Proposals for 

quarantine guarantees or certification may also be discussed by the phytosanitary

authorities of the exporting country with regard to phytosanitary requirements in 

Argentina.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS.

List any suggestions for SENASA to:

 approve/not approve the importation of new products,

or

 approve/not approve an inspected nursery,

or

 modify the controls for the importation of the product,

or
21

 modify the requirements for accepting the product,

or

 request that the exporting country take additional measures or modify its control

system for products exported to the Argentine Republic.

or

 suspend entry of the product, until the country provides guarantees regarding the 

problems uncovered,

or

 other.

9. APPENDIXES.

Maps, charts and any other information provided by the audited country during the visit.
22

Annex 2

PROCEDURE FOR APPROVAL AND NOTIFICATION OF PHYTOSANITARY AND 

ZOOSANITARY REQUIREMENTS FOR IMPORTS OF ANIMALS; REPRODUCTIVE 

MATERIAL; PRECURSORY LIFE FORMS; ZOOTHERAPEUTICS; BIOLOGICALS; 

FERTILIZERS; ANIMAL FEED; PLANTS; PLANT PARTS; SOIL DRESSINGS; 

ORGANIC SUPPORT AND/OR GROWTH MEDIA; BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

ORGANISMS; PRODUCTS, BYPRODUCTS AND DERIVATIVES OF ANIMAL 

AND/OR PLANT ORIGIN; OR GOODS AND/OR INPUTS WHOSE COMPONENTS 

CONSIST OF OR INCLUDE INGREDIENTS OF ANIMAL AND/OR PLANT ORIGIN

1. The Coordinación de Cuarentenas, Fronteras and Certificaciones [Quarantines, 

Borders and Certifications Coordination Office] shall establish or amend the 

phytosanitary and zoosanitary requirements for authorizing imports of products under 

the responsibility of SENASA in keeping with the Risk Analysis, basing itself on 

assessment, in keeping with the circumstances, of existing risks to the life and health of 

people and animals or the preservation of plants and their health, in accordance with the 

terms of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Agreement of the WORLD TRADE 

ORGANIZATION and following the notification and consultation procedures 

established herein. 

2. The Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office may prohibit or 

suspend entry into the national territory of products under its responsibility where 

technical evaluations or emergency conditions so warrant.

3. Functions performed by SENASA may include the following: official recognition of 

countries, areas, zones or regions free of or with a low prevalence of diseases or pests, 

as applicable; establishments or farms free of diseases or pests; equivalence of measures 

for risk reduction; and equivalence of inspection procedures of exporting countries. The 

Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office shall, through the Animal 

and Plant Quarantine Directorates, establish the procedures necessary for each 

recognition, based on the recommendations and principles of international bodies 

(INTERNATIONAL OFFICE OF EPIZOOTICS, WORLD TRADE 

ORGANIZATION, Codex, CIPF, among others) and taking into account the national or 

regional legislation in effect. The applicant official service shall provide the information 

requested by SENASA for each case and facilitate the conducting of inspection visits 

by SENASA officials where deemed necessary. The cost of these actions shall be borne 

by the interested party. 

4. The Animal and Plant Quarantine Directorates shall be the sole parties responsible for 

issuing technical reports from the quarantine point of view for all phytosanitary or 

zoosanitary requirements pertaining to import authorization for products under the 

responsibility of SENASA. 

5. The areas of the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office 

authorized to generate import requirements, as applicable, shall be those responsible for 

conducting the necessary prior consultations with the various SENASA offices with the 
23

authority to establish other technical sanitary requirements (quality, residues, labels or

other). 

6. The responsible offices shall forward the requirements drafted as a result of the 

respective Risk Analysis, technical reports and other technical requirements to the 

Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office for review.

7. The draft requirement may be sent for technical and scientific comments by the 

competent bodies and/or technical advisory commissions or reference bodies.

8. This period for comments shall be established for each case and may vary according to 

the characteristics of the product, with a minimum term of SIXTY (60) days 

established.

9. The Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office may formally open a 

consultation period at the national level where it deems necessary, so as to obtain 

opinions on draft sanitary, phytosanitary and zoosanitary import requirements from 

institutions competent in such areas. The method and times for the above-mentioned 

consultation period shall be established for each specific case. 

10. Once the period established for the various consultations has expired, the Quarantines, 

Borders and Certifications Coordination Office shall, after considering the comments 

and proposals received, proceed to finalize the draft requirement, amend it or extend the 

consultation period, and may make public a report analyzing the relevant comments 

received in which it states the reasons for rejection or acceptance of the various points 

of view. The Final Regulation shall be initialled by all participating technical 

institutions and signed by the Coordinator of the Quarantines, Borders and 

Certifications Coordination Office.

11. The above-mentioned Coordination Office shall forward the requirements to the 

Coordinación de Relaciones Internacionales e Institucionales [International and 

Institutional Relations Coordination Office] in order that the latter might so inform the 

country of origin of the product within the preestablished deadlines, or the SPS, where 

applicable.

12. The external consultation period set out in Point 11 shall consist of a minimum of sixty

(60) days. Comments received shall be considered by the Animal and Plant Quarantine 

Directorates, as applicable.

13. If no comments are received within the preestablished period, the Quarantines, Borders 

and Certifications Coordination Office shall consider the import request approved 

subject to the established conditions.

14. Where there are comments on the part of the exporting country(ies), the Quarantines, 

Borders and Certifications Coordination Office shall conduct the corresponding

evaluation of same within a minimum period of SIXTY (60) days. If applicable, the 

necessary amendments shall be made and the exporting country advised thereof for 
24

purposes of final confirmation or acceptance of new comments. Once this period has 

transpired and the comments received have been evaluated, the Animal and Plant 

Quarantine Directorates shall draft the final import requirement, of which notification 

shall be given as established in Point 11 of this Annex. 

15. Sanitary, phytosanitary or zoosanitary requirements may be amended by order of the 

Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office through recommendations 

by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Directorates, where emergency risk-generating 

sanitary, phytosanitary or zoosanitary circumstances are in effect. Such measures may 

go so far as to include suspension of import authorizations. The suspension set out in 

this point shall be formalized through a ruling handed down by the Coordinator of the 

Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office (this responsibility may be 

delegated to responsible parties in the Animal and Plant Quarantine Directorates, where 

necessary). 

16. A database of zoosanitary and phytosanitary import requirements shall be available for 

consultation.

17. SENASA offices shall be advised by reliable means of any amendment or new 

requirements, including border offices involved in complying with the new sanitary

requirements.

18. Entry into the country shall only be authorized for those goods mentioned in article one 

of this Resolution that have the corresponding import authorization in accordance with 

the terms of the standards in effect.

19. Final confirmation of the model sanitary, phytosanitary, or zoosanitary requirements, 

as applicable, shall constitute part, but not all, of the requirements for import 

authorization. Prior to authorization, compliance with all necessary technical and 

administrative requirements must be ensured, including, among others, audits and 

authorization in the place of origin.
25

PART 1

ESTABLISHMENT OF ZOOSANITARY REQUIREMENTS 

Criteria of the Animal Quarantine Directorate with respect to determination of zoosanitary

requirements for imports of products of animal origin under the responsibility of SENASA. 

a) The primary role of quarantine procedures and decisions is both keeping undesirable 

diseases outside the territory of the ARGENTINE REPUBLIC and facilitating the 

international flow of persons and goods under the responsibility of this National Service. 

b) Quarantine policy is based on a concept of reasonable and acceptable risk management 

based on scientific support. 

c) The definitions contained in the Zoosanitary Code of the INTERNATIONAL OFFICE 

OF EPIZOOTICS (OIE) shall be used in all cases and shall take into account the preexistence of national or regional regulations in effect, not only those issued by

SENASA, but also by other bodies with jurisdiction in this area.

Presentation by the interested party. A file shall be opened by the Entry, Exit, Archives and 

Public Information Desk of SENASA on forms provided for that purpose by the competent 

areas.

1. Preliminary evaluation: there are two (2) possible scenarios:

1.1. Requirements are in place for products of equivalent or greater risk or specific 

prohibitions in that regard are in effect, in which case a direct ruling shall be handed 

down at the level of the operating area involved.

1.2. Faced with the non-existence of and need for a feasibility analysis, the Animal 

Quarantine Directorate shall prepare a work schedule which shall specify both the 

need for resources for the above-mentioned analysis as well as the probable time 

required to rule on the case. The schedule must include details as to personnel 

resources, particularly if the need arises for consultation of other permanent or ad 

hoc advisory bodies, hiring of consultants, inspection or verification visits and any 

other input necessary for resolving the matter. 

2. Feasibility analysis: Notification of the party concerned with respect to the need to 

carry out an Import Risk Analysis1(IRA). Where the information required to conduct 

the above-mentioned analysis is not available, the request submitted shall be returned 

to the party concerned, together with notification of the situation and a list of the 

information required to carry out the IRA. 

3. The Animal Quarantine Directorate may make small changes or considerations [sic] to 

already existing import requirements without having to conduct a new IRA. This 

process is called a routine IRA. The corresponding report shall be issued within 

NINETY-SIX (96) working hours following receipt of the request. This result may 

 

1 Risk evaluation shall be understood to mean the procedures for identification and assessment of the events 

necessary to produce an adverse sanitary situation.
26

include a final ruling of Acceptance or Rejection. The operating area shall proceed to 

notify the interested party of the results by reliable means. 

4. Applications for imports of animals or derived products that involve significant 

variations to already established import health policies shall require a non-routine IRA 

process. This type of IRA could involve a lengthy period of time and a complex 

process. 

5. The report corresponding to the need to carry out a non-routine IRA shall be issued 

within FIVE (5) to FIFTEEN (15) working days following receipt of the import 

request.

6. Import Risk Analysis: this shall be initiated when the Animal Quarantine Directorate 

receives all the required information from the responsible official body of the 

exporting country. When establishing zoosanitary requirements, measures that 

guarantee minimum risk and produce the minimum impact on marketing shall be 

considered. Once the IRA has been completed, it shall be approved and the interested 

parties so informed through the Animal Quarantine Directorate. A minimum period of 

THREE (3) months shall apply for establishing the requirements. 

7. Once the preestablished steps have been complied with, if procedures that ensure an 

adequate level of zoosanitary protection are determined, the Animal Quarantine 

Directorate shall draft the technical report with the quarantine requirements to be 

stipulated in the proposed zoosanitary requirement. 

8. Wherever deemed appropriate or necessary, the Quarantines, Borders and 

Certifications Coordination Office may order that a quantitative Risk Analysis be

conducted. 
27

PART 2

ESTABLISHMENT OF PHYTOSANITARY REQUIREMENTS.

Products of plant origin that present possible phytosanitary risk based on their level of 

processing and proposed use are subject to phytosanitary import regulations, in keeping 

with the terms of Regional Phytosanitary Protection Standard 3.15 [Harmonization of 

Phytosanitary Measures by Path Way (COSAVE/1999)].

TWO (2) scenarios are possible in this case:

1. Phytosanitary requirements are in place for the product requested, products of 

equivalent or greater risk and/or specific prohibitions are in effect.

2. Phytosanitary requirements have not yet been established, which means that a Risk 

Analysis is necessary. The Plant Quarantine Directorate must therefore prepare a 

work schedule that specifies the need for resources for the above-mentioned 

analysis and an estimate of the probable time required to rule on the matter. The 

schedule must include the following details: personnel resources, particularly if the 

need arises for consultation of permanent or ad hoc advisory bodies, hiring of 

consultants, need for inspection or verification visits and any other input necessary

for resolving the matter.

2.1. Pest Risk Analysis (PRA).

Phytosanitary requirements shall be established as a result of the PRA based on 

the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No 2 

“Guidelines for pest risk analysis” and ISPM No 11 “Pest risk analysis for 

quarantine pests” (FAO /1996).

The analysis shall consider the species and plant part (fruit, seed, plant, etc.), 

pests existing in the place of origin, biology, economic importance, 

internationally recognized quarantine treatments, use or destination of the good 

in our country and any other factor of phytosanitary or legislative importance.

When establishing phytosanitary requirements, measures that ensure minimum 

risk and produce the minimum impact on marketing shall be considered.

The Plant Quarantine Directorate shall state the need for a PRA for products 

and places of origin in which that analysis has not been performed at the time of 

submission of the Import Phytosanitary Authorization (AFIDI). TWO (2) 

scenarios are possible:

a) The Plant Quarantine Directorate has the information necessary to establish 

the phytosanitary requirements in a minimum period of THREE (3) months 

as of submission of the AFIDI request;

b) the Plant Quarantine Directorate does not have the information necessary to 

carry out the PRA, in which case the application submitted shall be returned 

to the interested party, together with a list of the information required to 

carry out this analysis. 
28

The PRA shall be carried out when the Plant Quarantine Directorate receives 

the requested information from the national phytosanitary protection body of the exporting 

country, and it shall have a minimum period of THREE (3) months to establish import 

phytosanitary requirements.

Where the products analyzed are of high risk to agricultural production, the Quarantines, 

Borders and Certifications Coordination Office may order that a quantitative Risk Analysis 

be conducted.

Where, as a result of the PRA, it has been determined that the phytosanitary conditions of 

the country of origin constitute a risk for the entry of quarantine pests and/or the established 

risk management option(s) cannot be implemented, the Plant Quarantine Directorate shall 

not issue the AFIDI.

2. 2. Pest risk management options

a) Recognition of “pest free areas”.

The ARGENTINE REPUBLIC shall recognize “pest free areas” in third 

countries as established in the International Standards for Phytosanitary 

Measures (ISPM) No. 4 “Requirements for the establishment of pest free 

areas” (FAO/1996) or the approved Regional Phytosanitary Protection 

Substandards of COSAVE.

b) Recognition of “system approach for pest risk management”.

The ARGENTINE REPUBLIC shall recognize this risk management 

option in third countries, as established in Regional Phytosanitary 

Protection Standard 3.13 “Guidelines for a system approach for pest risk 

management” COSAVE/1999.

c) Recognition of “pest free places of production and/or pest free production 

sites”.

The ARGENTINE REPUBLIC shall recognize “pest free places of 

production and/or pest free production sites” in third countries, as 

established in International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 

No. 10 “Requirements for the establishment of pest free places of 

production and pest free production sites” (FAO/1999).

d) Recognition of “Phytosanitary Certification Systems” and “Equivalence 

Measures”.

The ARGENTINE REPUBLIC shall recognize Phytosanitary

Certification Systems in third countries as established in ISPM No. 7 

Export certification system” (FAO/1999) and equivalence measures 

according to Regional Phytosanitary Protection Standard 3.7. “Procedures 

for the approval of quarantine treatments ” (COSAVE/ 2000) and 

Annexes IV of SENASA Resolution No. 601 dated 28 December 2001 

which sets out minimum conditions for the authorization of quarantine 

treatment application centres.
29

Review of the Pest Risk Analysis

In the event of changes to phytosanitary conditions in the place of origin, the discovery of 

irregularities in the phytosanitary certification, interception of quarantine pests in shipments 

from a specific place of origin, deemed expiry of phytosanitary requirements, or existence 

of a bilateral agreement, and lack of compliance with the “Principles of plant quarantine as 

related to international trade” (FAO/1995), the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications 

Coordination Office shall establish the need for a new Pest Risk Analysis or review of the 

previous PRA.
30

Annex 3

STANDARD PROCEDURE FOR IMPORTS OF PRODUCTS, BYPRODUCTS AND/OR 

DERIVATIVES OF ANIMAL ORIGIN AND/OR GOODS AND/OR INPUTS WHOSE 

COMPONENTS CONSIST OF OR INCLUDE INGREDIENTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN

1. The approval of all import procedures shall be dependent upon THREE (3) prior 

conditions being met: firstly, issuance of a favourable report by the Animal Quarantine 

Directorate that determines country risk, product risk and destination risk in accordance 

with current standards, previously determining, based on that and other technical 

components, the requirements for that import; second, authorization of the 

slaughterhouses, manufacturing plants and/or warehouse of origin and/or shipment, if 

applicable, in accordance with the terms of this resolution; and, finally, registration of 

the product where applicable. There is no deadline for meeting these THREE (3) 

conditions. Once these conditions have been met, the formalities will take no longer 

than FORTY-FIVE (45) calendar days, barring delays attributable to the applicant.

2. In order to be authorized to enter the country, products, byproducts and/or derivatives 

of animal origin and/or goods and/or inputs whose components consist of or contain 

ingredients of animal origin must have been produced in plants authorized by the 

competent veterinary and/or official sanitary administration of the country of origin 

whose processes are supervised by the latter. In cases unlike that described above that 

could be considered equivalent, the veterinary and/or official sanitary administration of 

the exporting country may bring the case to the attention of the NATIONAL AGRIFOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE [NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH 

AND QUALITY SERVICE] with the corresponding background information. This 

National Service shall proceed to study that case and, if applicable, to authorize the 

proposed procedure.

3. All requests for imports of products, byproducts and/or derivatives of animal origin 

and/or goods and/or inputs whose components consist of or contain ingredients of 

animal origin shall be sent in file form to the Mesa de Entradas y Salidas [Entry and 

Exit Desk] of this body and forwarded to the Product Importation Coordination Office, 

an operating area of the International Traffic Directorate, both of which report to the 

Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office of the NATIONAL AGRIFOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE. Form I (Request for importation of 

products, byproducts and/or derivatives of animal origin and/or goods and/or inputs 

whose components consist of or contain ingredients of animal origin), which forms part 

of this resolution and has the status of a sworn statement, shall be used for that purpose, 

attaching the documentation requested in the aforementioned form in compiling the file, 

and indicating, among other information: country of origin, animal species, type of 

good, specification of the manufacturing establishment, official authorization number 

for that establishment issued by the competent body recognized by this National 

Service, and its geographical location. The request in question to be submitted to the 

Entry, Exit, Archives and Public Information Desk of this National Service shall be 

accompanied by the documentation listed in the following point.
31

4. When requesting approval, registration or an import permit, as applicable, for a product, 

byproduct and/or derivative of animal origin and/or goods and/or inputs whose 

components consist of or contain ingredients of animal origin to be imported, the 

importer must submit the following documentation together with Form I:

a) A copy of the product’s descriptive monograph including the following: 

identification of the manufacturer, official number of the establishment, animal 

species, brand and name of the product and name under regulatory legislation, 

manufacturing technique including operational flowchart, list of ingredients 

including additives and manufacturing aids, quantifying the declaration where their 

use is restricted under current legislation, decreasing percentage composition, shelf 

life and/or expiry date, conservation and transport conditions, heat penetration 

studies in sterilized or thermoprocessed products and any other treatment and/or 

process to which the product is submitted, using as a guide those described in Form 

II that forms part of this resolution.

Submission of this documentation shall not be required for products whose 

operational manufacturing procedure does not extend to the processes of 

slaughtering, butchering, fileting, cold application and/or collection. In such cases, a 

descriptive declaration must be submitted stating the maintenance temperature, 

maturation if applicable and/or shelf life of the product.

b) Descriptive monograph for the packing system, listing materials to be used as well 

as a description of the packaging, sealing system and weight of each unit of sale.

c) Packing certificate where required under current regulations.

d) TWO (2) copies of the original labels of the product to be imported when the file is 

opened for technical study and approval.

To these should be attached TWO (2) copies of the draft complementary label 

which should provide full details on the importer, country of origin and/or 

shipment, name of the production establishment, official number of the 

manufacturing establishment, declaration of ingredients, range of maintenance 

temperatures, minimum shelf life and all obligatory information that does not 

appear or does not appear in Spanish on the original printed label. The draft 

complementary label shall be an exact copy of that to be applied in the place of 

origin to the main label by box and/or by unit when the product is destined for 

direct sale to the public or to the primary and/or secondary package when the 

product is to be used for processing.

The original copies of the monograph for the product and for the packing system, 

descriptive declaration and certification of fitness of the packaging must be 

presented as a sworn statement signed by the responsible professional of the 

exporting company and endorsed by the Official Sanitary Service of the exporting

country.

The Official Inspection Service of the country of origin of the product must confirm 

or identify the following points, among others, as authorized by equivalent systems 

specifically recognized by the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND 

QUALITY SERVICE: species or animal species of the raw materials used to 

manufacture the product, heat penetration studies in sterilized or heat processed 

products (time and temperature), maturation times, salting or other conservation 

process, fitness for human consumption and unrestricted marketing in the country of 

origin.
32

Copies or photocopies submitted must in all cases be authenticated by the National 

Public Notary.

When the original documents are not submitted in Spanish, they must in all cases be 

translated by a nationally certified translator. 

5. Products, byproducts and/or derivatives of animal origin and/or goods and/or inputs 

whose components consist of or contain ingredients of animal origin to be imported 

shall, according to their intended use, be subjected to the following procedures for 

registration, if applicable, prior to their final import authorization granted by the 

operating area of the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office, as 

indicated:

a) Products intended for human consumption or processing for subsequent human 

consumption, or for human pharmacological or organotherapeutic use, wine-making

and edible gelatins, edible fats and oils and all those with this purpose, in addition to 

finished animal feed, biological products, manures and/or fertilizers with animal 

components, must be registered with the Dirección de Agroquímicos, Productos 

Farmacológicos y Veterinarios [Agrochemicals and Pharmacological and 

Veterinary Products Directorate].

b) Animal raw materials used in the preparation of animal feed or others for animal 

consumption with animal components shall be registered with the Dirección de 

Fiscalization de Productos de Origen Animal [Directorate for the Supervision of 

Products of Animal Origin].

c) Products intended solely for industry and not in any way intended for human or 

animal consumption in any of their forms need not be registered.

6. Where there are amendments to the authorization in the original file, the interested party 

must request their incorporation into same, attaching the corresponding documentation 

endorsed by the Official Sanitary Service of the exporting country. That amendment 

must be approved in advance by the competent areas, and a new “Import Authorization” 

to that effect shall be issued within the TEN (10) days follwoign the aforementioned 

approvals. 

7. As of submission of the documentation to the Entry, Exit, Archives and Public 

Information Desk of this National Service and provided that the THREE (3) conditions 

set out in Point 1 have been met, the above-mentioned body must issue a ruling in that 

regard within a period not to exceed TWENTY-FIVE (45) calendar days. 

Where the THREE (3) conditions have been met and SENASA does not issue a ruling 

within the stipulated period, barring delays not attributable to the Service, the person 

responsible for the import may submit a note to the competent area of the Quarantines, 

Borders and Certifications Coordination Office requesting “PROMPT CLEARANCE” 

of the file in question. If, FIVE (5) working days after such submission, the 

aforementioned Service has not issued a ruling, the applicant may import the product 

into the national territory using the file number granted to him/her upon submission of 

the documentation requested by this body to proceed with feasibility analysis of the 

import authorization, attaching to the Notice of Arrival the aforementioned request for 

Prompt Clearance.
33

8. The Import authorization for products, byproducts and/or derivatives of animal origin 

and/or goods and/or inputs whose components consist of or contain ingredients of 

animal origin, intended for human consumption, animal feed, industrial use or other 

purpose, shall be issued by the Coordinación de Importación de Productos [Product 

Importation Coordination Office], an operating area of the International Traffic Office, 

both of which report to the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination 

Office. That authorization shall be valid for a period of ONE (1) year. Once that period 

has transpired, the authorization shall cease to be valid, except where health or other 

reasons have required its cancellation, suspension or modification prior to that time. 

The Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office issuing such 

authorizations has NINETY-SIX (96) working hours after receiving the necessary

information, and provided there are no impediments whatsoever, to issue that 

authorization. The sanitary, zoosanitary, quality and/or other conditions, as applicable, 

indicated on that import authorization, shall be identical to those that must appear on 

the certification of origin and/or shipment, as applicable, that accompanies the goods 

destined for the ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. 

9. Renewals or extensions of the Import Authorization shall be issued by the competent 

area of the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office upon request to 

that effect by the interested party, between THIRTY (30) and SEVEN (7) days prior to 

their expiry, with a note from the importer and copy of the expiring “Import 

Authorization” that is to be renewed, according to the terms of this resolution. When 

such a request is submitted, SENASA shall make the new authorization available to the 

importer, provided there are no sanitary, technical, legal or other impediments, prior to 

the expiry date. Where the ONE (1) year term of the “Import Authorization” has 

expired and its renewal has not been requested in due time in accordance with the terms 

hereof, its renewal shall be subject to the time required for the technical reports by the 

competent areas of the Service.

SENASA shall officially notify the competent sanitary authorities of the country of 

origin of the conditions that must be met through the corresponding model certificate, 

which shall be made available to users who so request.

That model International Sanitary Certificate shall be subject, together with import 

authorizations, to cancellation, suspension or amendment where necessary in the case of 

changes to country/product/destination risk, expired authorization of manufacturing 

plants or the need to update quality or identity requirements where necessary. A 

reference generic model appears as Form III, which forms an integral part of this 

resolution.

10. Products which, due to their characteristics, cannot be accompanied in their place of 

origin by one certificate per shipment and which are intended for industrial use rather 

than consumption—culture media, reactants or others--must be accompanied by

officially endorsed generic approval certificates, approved monographs or 

documentation that SENASA, via the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications 

Coordination Office, deems appropriate for that purpose, to ensure their traceability. 

Import authorizations granted in such cases shall have a term of SIX (6) months 

provided their characteristics do not change. These authorizations may be renewed 

upon request in writing following the same administrative procedure. They shall 
34

become void if, within their period of validity, there are changes to their characteristics 

or original conditions. The interested party bears full responsibility for providing 

notification of such changes for review of the feasibility of issuing authorization 

adapted to those changes.

11. SENASA shall cancel or suspend import authorizations issued and take the sanitary

and/or administrative measures it deems necessary under the following circumstances:

a) Changes to the animal health status of the country of origin of the good could pose a 

risk to the animal health status of the ARGENTINE REPUBLIC;

b) Authorization of the manufacturing establishment is revoked or suspended;

c) The importer is struck from or suspended from the corresponding register;

d) An injunction is ordered to that effect; 

e) At the discretion of the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY 

SERVICE, for reasons of public interest or risk that renders such action necessary.

12. The approval and subsequent authorization of goods, carried out in accordance with the 

preceding points, shall be valid for so long as the health conditions of the country of origin 

are not altered, and provided that no other health-related reason makes such a move 

necessary. All importers wishing to import a good already approved and registered with 

the body by a third party must submit documentation to the Entry, Exit, Archives and 

Public Information Desk that shall be forwarded to the Product Importation Coordination 

Office, an operating area of the International Traffic Directorate, both of which report 

to the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office. They shall fill out 

an application for an import permit in accordance with Form IV, which forms part of this 

resolution and consists of a sworn statement, referring to the procedures already approved 

and authorized. The relevant authorization shall be granted within a period of no more than 

TWENTY-FIVE (25) calendar days. If there is a difference between the packaging 

monograph and the net weight of the product, the form appearing as FORM I must be 

filled out, and the deadline stipulated for that purpose shall apply.

13. Prior to the arrival of each shipment, the importer must submit in duplicate to the 

Product Importation Coordination Office the Notice of arrival corresponding to the 

importation of products, byproducts and/or derivatives of animal origin and/or goods 

and/or inputs whose components consist of or contain ingredients of animal origin in 

accordance with Form V, which forms an integral part of this resolution and has the 

status of a sworn statement, where that shipment is intended for human consumption in 

any of its forms or animal consumption as indicated in Point 5, or with Form VI, which 

forms an integral part of this resolution and has the status of a sworn statement, where 

the products are for industrial use and not for consumption as indicated in the same 

point.

That Notice of Arrival must be presented at least THREE (3) working days in advance 

of the entry of the good by sea, air, river or overland. The Office must authorize or 

reject that notice. It shall be returned to the applicant signed and validated, barring any 

impediments, within FORTY-EIGHT (48) hours of receipt. The Notice of Arrival shall 

be valid for FIFTEEN (15) calendar days counted from the date of its authorization. It 

may be extended one time only for a similar period, where circumstances so warrant, 

with a request in writing from the importer with the original notice or copy of same 
35

attached.

14. The following must be attached to the aforementioned Notice of Arrival:

a) Copy of the “Import Authorization” for the product to be imported.

b) Copy of the “final labels” approved for products for human or animal consumption 

or labels presented for goods for industrial use (those for industrial use that are 

neither approved nor registered) and proof of registration and approval of label and 

monograph where applicable that identify the good and that have been approved by

the competent area.

c) At the request of the competent areas, ONE (1) copy of the certificate of quality, 

analysis and fitness for human consumption, wholesomeness and/or health, as 

applicable, covering the goods, translated by a nationally certified translator where 

not written in Spanish.

d) Copy of the certificate covering the goods for shipments by sea and in cases in 

which certification is required and in which, due to the certification procedure in the 

country of origin, it is not possible to obtain the above-mentioned documentation 

prior to arrival of the good (e.g., air or land shipments), the importer must submit a 

copy to the Product Importation Coordination Office within TWENTY-FOUR (24) 

hours follwoign the entry of same.

15. A Notice of arrival corresponding to the importation of products, byproducts and/or 

derivatives of animal origin and/or goods and/or inputs whose components consist of or 

contain ingredients of animal origin, which, like Forms V and VI, constitutes an 

integral part of this resolution, must be requested for each shipment of goods 

corresponding to ONE (1) truck, car, container or ship’s cargo.

16. It shall be the responsibility of the importer or his or her representative to notify the 

SENASA Inspection Service of the plant of destination and the entry land post at which 

the good is to arrive. That notification must be carried out by reliable means no less 

than ONE (1) working day prior to arrival in the country of the goods.

17. Where the maximum validity period of the Notice of Arrival (including the extension) 

of THIRTY (30) days has expired and the importation for which it was requested has 

not been carried out, the importer must return that notice to the office of the Service that 

issued it or to the land post at which it was to be presented (which shall return it to its 

office of origin) within no more than SEVEN (7) working days counted from the day

following expiry, so that it can be removed from the list, accompanied by a note to that 

effect. Where non-compliance with the foregoing is encountered, and until such time as 

the situation is corrected, the operating area shall issue no further Notices of Arrival to 

the company involved.

18. The original Notice of Arrival delivered to the interested party with the attached 

documentation as described in Point 14 of this Annex must form an integral part of the 

documentation presented to the land post, photocopies of which shall subsequently

accompany the good to the establishment of destination declared on same.

19. Changes to the establishment of destination shall only be granted prior to entry of the 
36

goods with a written request from the importer attaching the original or a copy of the 

notice, to the Product Importation Coordination Office, an operating area of the 

International Traffic Office, both of which report to the Quarantines, Borders and 

Certifications Coordination Office.

20. The Notice of Arrival, whether or not it contains new information upon arrival, shall 

consist of the information requested in Point 6 of same and must be signed by the 

responsible party of the SENASA Inspection Service at the receiving plant and filed at 

the Inspection Service as documentation for the import, in keeping with directives 

issued to that effect by the competent areas. The relevant area shall be advised of the 

new information together with the applicable documentation and the certificate, if 

applicable.

21. Goods considered to be samples and described as such on the accompanying 

commercial and/or health documentation and which, due to their subsequent use 

(tasting, special events, technical quality analysis, packing, etc.), do not require prior 

registration, must be authorized through submission of the Notice of arrival 

corresponding to the importation of samples of products, byproducts and/or derivatives 

of animal origin and/or goods and/or inputs whose components consist of or contain 

ingredients of animal origin, which, as Form VII, is an integral part of this resolution 

and subject to a sworn statement. The goods must be accompanied by ONE (1) 

International Sanitary Certificate issued by the competent authority recognized by

SENASA attesting to compliance with the sanitary/zoosanitary and or quality

requirements stipulated to that effect by the above-mentioned body, in keeping with the 

origin and product in question. The certificate must be drafted in Spanish or translated 

by a nationally certified translator. Where applicable, this National Service shall 

determine its subsequent destination once the basis for its importation has concluded. It 

is not necessary to be registered as an importer, nor is registration and approval of a 

good classified as a “sample” required. The interested party must also fill out Form 

VIII. The processing and validity of the notice of arrival for a sample shall be the same 

as those for Forms V and VI.

Goods considered to be samples are exempt from the requirement for use in plants 

authorized by SENASA, except where reasons of a sanitary or zoosanitary nature, risk 

factor or other warrant official restriction of their destination to an authorized 

establishment, and it is the authority of this body to so stipulate where it deems necessary.

22. With respect to cases covered by the preceding point, the goods in question shall in all 

cases be goods whose importation into the country does not involve a potential sanitary

or zoosanitary risk, which shall be determined prior to granting the entry authorization 

by the competent areas of SENASA, which shall assess the zoosanitary risk involved in 

importing the products and issue a technical report to that effect. Under no 

circumstances shall the entry of handcrafted goods, goods produced in establishments 

not subject to official control or products that are not correctly identified be authorized.

The time required for the above-mentioned "risk analysis" shall be similar to that 

required for any commercial importation.

23. Products, byproducts and/or derivatives of animal origin and/or goods and/or inputs 
37

whose components consist of or contain ingredients of animal origin whose importation 

is sought for human consumption must be subject, in their country of origin, to a Food 

Hygiene and Residue Control Plan equivalent to the Food Hygiene and Residue Control 

Plan of the ARGENTINE REPUBLIC.

Acceptance of the country of origin as an exporter of the above-mentioned products to 

the ARGENTINE REPUBLIC shall be subject to approval by SENASA of the 

guarantees offered by that plan with respect to monitoring of the possible presence of 

residues of contaminating substances and veterinary medicines, as well as the detection 

of pathogenic microorganisms.

In addition, and for purposes of maintaining the above-mentioned status, the analytical 

results for the previous year obtained under the framework of that plan must be 

officially remitted during the first quarter of the year. 

24. All products, byproducts and/or derivatives of animal origin and/or goods and/or inputs 

whose components consist of or contain ingredients of animal origin must enter the 

country accompanied by ONE (1) copy of the original International Sanitary Certificate 

attesting to compliance with SENASA requirements in matters of animal and public 

health and, if applicable, quality or other requirements, issued by the official competent 

authority of the country of origin recognized by this National Service, and written in or 

translated into Spanish by a nationally certified translator. Only the options set out for 

compliance with Point 10 of this Annex shall be included as exceptions.

25. At border inspection points, personnel of the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH 

AND QUALITY SERVICE shall in all cases carry out physical, thermal (if applicable), 

documentary and identity control of goods and consistency between authorization and 

certification. Locked vehicles, trucks, rail cars, containers, must enter the country presealed and will be subject to verification, upon their arrival, of the correspondence and 

integrity of the original bands that must appear on the certificates.

This correspondence and integrity will likewise be accepted if the packages of origin 

arrive sealed with numbered security bands or other equivalent method accepted by

SENASA.

The certificate shall also identify the means of transport: for trucks, the ownership 

number is required; for containers, the acronym and number identification; for rail cars, 

identification of the car with acronym and/or number; for ships, name; and for 

airplanes, airline and flight number. Provided there are no impediments, the SENASA 

document used to authorize transport through the national territory for entry into a 

nationally authorized establishment shall be issued, with the exceptions set out in this 

standard.

To that document shall be attached copies of the Notice of Arrival, copies of the 

“Import Authorization” and of the “Final Label”, and the original(s) of the 

corresponding certificate(s), with the original Notice of Arrival and copy of the attached 

documentation remaining in the possession of the land post together with a copy of the 

certificates.

In cases in which the goods must be transhipped at the point of entry into the country

for their transfer to the establishment of destination, that transhipment must be carried 

out under supervision by SENASA personnel, and the transport must be authorized by

the competent area of this body subject to hygiene conditions suited to that purpose.
38

26. The importation of products, byproducts and/or derivatives of animal origin and/or 

goods and/or inputs whose components consist of or contain ingredients of animal 

origin for which SENASA is responsible, and which are not intended for human and/or 

animal consumption but rather exclusively for industrial use, is subject to the same 

procedures as those for products intended for the food industry, with the exception of 

registration of the product, and their destination may be other than plants authorized by

this National Service or plants that do not have official authorization. In the latter case, it 

shall be the responsibility of the plant of destination to keep all documentation relating to 

the importation on file for submission to the authorities of the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD 

HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE upon request.

This method shall apply provided there are no reasons of a sanitary, technical or 

documentary nature that would, in the opinion of the personnel assigned to the entry

post, cause the good to be prohibited, in which case the corresponding routine 

procedures shall be carried out with an authorized establishment as the destination.

27. Where the official on duty at the border notes that the goods do not meet the 

requirements set out by SENASA for import authorization, he/she shall draw up the 

corresponding document and refuse to authorize the import.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, where there is non-compliance with the terms of this 

resolution and non-compliance with the requirements is noted, provided that public or 

animal health is not compromised, the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications 

Coordination Office may consider exceptions upon specific request of the importer.

To that end, a note must be submitted to the aforementioned office where an exception 

is authorized, and the corresponding document must be drawn up. Entry of the good 

may be authorized as “prohibited without rights of use”, granting a period not longer 

than FIFTEEN (15) days to the importing company to correct the situation, during 

which period the interested party shall take responsibility for maintaining the good 

under the appropriate conditions and covering the expenses incurred in that regard.

SENASA, through the Quarantines, Borders, and Certifications Coordination Office, 

may make a final decision as to entry, change of fitness, rejection, reexportation or 

destruction of the goods.

If the period set out in this point has expired and no solution has been found to the 

problem that gave rise to the prohibition, the NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH 

AND QUALITY SERVICE shall decide upon the procedure to be followed, of which 

the importer shall be notified together with the time frame for the measure.

If, once that period has expired, no action has been taken and there are no reasons of 

force majeure to justify an extension, the importer shall be deemed to have abandoned 

the goods, in which case an order shall be given to destroy them. All forms of expenses 

incurred as a result of that destruction shall be for the account of the responsible firm.

28. The following, among others, shall be considered grounds for rejection:

a) Lack of an International Sanitary Certificate of origin issued by an official authority

recognized by SENASA covering the goods to be imported.

b) Certification in which the sanitary requirements are not documented and in which 

such status suggests a potential risk to the human or animal population of the 

country.
39

c) Lack of correspondence between what is declared on the certificate of origin and 

what is authorized and approved, and information with respect to identity, including

thermal condition.

d) Alteration of the organoleptic characteristics of the products to be imported.

e) Undocumented violation of bands declared on the documentation of origin.

f) Lack of identification of the band(s) in the certificate, lack of identification of the 

means of transport in those documents.

g) Labels that do not correspond to those declared to SENASA and those registered 

with and authorized by that body.

h) Certificates not written in Spanish or lacking the corresponding translation by a

certified translator.

i) Sanitary and zoosanitary certificates covering goods that lack the official 

identification corresponding to the issuing country. Certificates without official 

letterhead or proper identification shall not be accepted.

j) Goods with unauthorized origins.

k) Failure to indicate the name of the importer in the certificate accompanying the 

good.

29. The procedure described below shall be followed to obtain information on compliance 

of entry of the goods into the establishment authorized by SENASA, as authorized in 

the Notice of Arrival Form V:

a) This procedure shall apply to all operations involving the importation of products, 

byproducts and derivatives of animal origin destined for plants supervised by

SENASA.

b) All land posts covered by SENASA involved in the inspection of products 

identified in Point 1 shall periodically inform the Quarantines, Borders and 

Certifications Coordination Office of such entries.

c) The aforementioned Coordination Office shall provide the National Agrifood 

Inspection Directorate with a list of plants that saw movement during the period of 

the report.

d) The Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office shall periodically 

issue a report for each plant, including the following information: official number of 

the plant, transit permit, Notice of Arrival number, date of entry into the country, 

animal species, description of the product, kilograms imported, land post handling 

the entry, country of origin, producer and importer.

e) These reports shall be sent periodically by the Quarantines, Borders and 

Certifications Coordination Office to the supervisors of the various plants, who 

shall distribute them to the SENASA personnel present at same.

f) The personnel of this National Service in each plant shall ensure that the products of 

which they are informed coincide qualitatively and quantitatively with those that 

have entered the plant.

g) According to the results of this verification, the SENASA personnel in the plant 

shall in all cases produce a report entitled "New information” or “No new 

information” signifying, respectively, that there is or is not total correspondence 

between the products entering the plant and information obtained from the 

Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office.

h) The National Agrifood Inspection Directorate shall take the necessary steps to 
40

obtain the results of this verification in each plant, whether or not there was new 

information, and shall advise the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications 

Coordination Office of the results within a period of no more than FIFTEEN (15) 

days following the issue of the reports issued by that coordination office.

i) Where there is new information, it shall so inform the Quarantines, Borders and 

Certifications Coordination Office in order that the latter might proceed to verify the 

accuracy of the data supplied and, if applicable, take the corresponding action.

j) Where this new information consists of entries with variations, the Quarantines, 

Borders and Certifications Coordination Office shall proceed to verify the data 

provided by the land posts, according to the importance of same, correcting the 

incorrect data in the databases where applicable.

k) Where plant personnel provides information on new destinations, the Quarantines, 

Borders and Certifications Coordination Office shall proceed to record that new 

information in the databases.

l) In cases in which entries through border points are found not to have arrived at the 

plants declared by the importers, the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications 

Coordination Office shall institute the legal proceedings necessary and advise the 

National Agrifood Inspection Directorate of this situation.

m) Where goods not reported by the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications 

Coordination Office have entered the plant, the latter shall proceed to determine 

why the plant was not advised thereof.

30. Import authorizations granted prior to the entry into effect of this resolution shall 

become void according to the following schedule.

Date of issue Expiry date (expressed in 

days following the entry into 

effective of this resolution)

1993-1996 SIXTY (60) days 

1997-1999 NINETY (90) days 

2000-2001 ONE HUNDRED AND 

TWENTY (120) days

2002 Calendar year

31. For the renewal of “import authorizations” issued prior to the entry into effect of this 

resolution, companies must present a copy of same no less than TWENTY (20) days 

prior to expiry, so as to proceed with their renewal, and must turn in the original 

authorizations when the corresponding renewals are issued.

32. Authorization notes issued as of the entry into effect of this standard shall be drawn up 

in accordance with the model appearing as Form IX of this resolution.

33. The NATIONAL AGRI-FOOD HEALTH AND QUALITY SERVICE may request 

commercial documentation from importers or any other documentation accompanying a 

shipment, where it is necessary to verify data or the uniformity thereof.
41

34. Skins and tanned leathers and goods or clothing manufactured from same shall be 

exempt from this Annex. Skins or tanned leathers (except manufactured goods and 

goods derived from same or clothing) from species susceptible to transmissible 

spongiform encephalopathies from countries affected by these diseases, must only be 

accompanied by a favourable report prior to their importation of the Animal Quarantine 

Directorate, which shall be obtained from the Product Importation Coordination Office 

with a note from the interested party indicating the intended use and attaching all the 

accompanying documentation or that which SENASA deems relevant. Once the Animal 

Quarantine Directorate has made a decision, the operating office shall have FORTYEIGHT (48) hours to notify the user.

Processed seashells and/or sea sponges or products manufactured from them are exempt 

from this Annex. Any other manufactured good with these characteristics that does not 

pose a sanitary or zoosanitary risk may also be exempted.

35. Cessation of use by one importance in favour of another is prohibited.

36. Notices of arrival shall be subject to a charge of TEN PESOS ($ 10.-) each, in 

accordance with Resolution No. 670 dated 11 October 2000 of the former MINISTRY 

OF AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, FISHERIES AND FOOD.

37. All goods with animal components that, following enactment of this standard, fall under 

the purview of the Quarantines, Borders and Certifications Coordination Office, shall 

adhere to this procedure, except where higher standards (e.g., SOUTHERN COMMON 

MARKET OR OTHER) require a specific procedure.
42

Annex 4

APPLICATION AND ISSUING PROCEDURE FOR PHYTOSANITARY IMPORT 

AUTHORIZATION (AFIDI)

Phytosanitary import authorization (AFIDI)

Before any plants, plant parts, products, byproducts and derivatives, organic growth and/or 

sustenance media and soil conditioners may be brought into the country for commercial 

purposes, application must be made to the Plant Quarantine Directorate for phytosanitary

import authorization (AFIDI). The AFIDI sets out the plant-health requirements for imports.

Products for which an AFIDI is required

An AFIDI is required for all products whose level of phytosanitary risk places them in 

categories 2, 3, 4 and 5 of COSAVE Standard 3.15 (“Harmonization of phytosanitary

measures by way of entry” (v2) – not required for categories 0 and 1).

AFIDI application form

A separate AFIDI application form must be submitted for each product to be imported.

For AFIDI purposes a product is defined according to the following parameters: botanical 

genus and species, plant part (fruit, foliage, bulb, plant, seed, etc.), country of origin, intended 

use (consumption, propagation, etc), form (natural, cutting, pellets, etc), packaging (boxes, 

bags, etc.), means of shipment and point of entry into the country. 

There are four different AFIDI application forms, depending on intended use: (1) products for 

consumption, industrial use or processing; (2) propagating material; (3) seeds for laboratory 

use; and (4) peat. 

A model of each of these forms can be found at the end of this Annex. Copies of these forms 

may be used. Application forms must be submitted with all requisite information duly entered.

When an application is submitted to import seed for laboratory use, the back of the AFIDI 

form must be completed (information on quantity of seed, testing to be performed, and 

laboratory where work is to be done).

In the case of asexual propagating material, except ornamentals, the AFIDI application must 

be accompanied by an application for approval of the quarantine facility. Such material must 

meet the requirements set forth in Resolutions SAGPyA N° 292/92 for General Post-Entry

Quarantine and SENASA N° 69/99 for post-entry quarantine of grapevines. 

Where to submit AFIDI application
43

AFIDI application forms must be submitted in person, by mail or by fax to the Plant 

Quarantine Directorate (DCV) of SENASA, Mondays to Fridays from 09:00 to 13:30.

Address: Paseo Colón N° 367, Piso 7°, (1063) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

Fax: (011) 4342-5137.

AFIDI issue and delivery times

Where a file has already been opened in the AFIDI system for the product/origin, the Plant 

Quarantine Directorate will issue the AFIDI within five business days. Otherwise, a pest risk 

analysis must be carried out in accordance with Annex II of this resolution. 

Those who reside, or have a representative, in the city of Buenos Aires may pick up an AFIDI 

original (no copy) at the Plant Quarantine Directorate at the SENASA head office, Mondays to 

Fridays from 09:00 to 13:30. Others may fax or mail their request, indicating the fax number 

or address to which the AFIDI is to be sent. When the AFIDI is sent by fax, the Plant 

Quarantine Directorate will simultaneously send the original to the SENASA local office at 

the point of entry.

Submission of AFIDI

The importer must submit a copy of the AFIDI to the National Plant Protection 

Organization of the exporting country, so that it can certify compliance with the 

phytosanitary requirements. In cases where it is necessary to carry out laboratory analysis, 

crop inspections, etc, beforehand, the requirements should be reported to the exporting

country with sufficient lead time prior to shipment of the products. 

The original of the AFIDI must be shown at the point of entry of the goods, along with the 

phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin. The inspector at the point of entry will 

ensure that the AFIDI’s phytosanitary requirements appear in the phytosanitary certificate as 

“additional declarations.” He will also take samples for laboratory analysis to confirm the 

absence of quarantine pests. In cases of high-value germ plasm imported in small quantities 

for experimental purposes, the Plant Quarantine Directorate may, at the request of the 

importer, waive the taking of samples. In this case, the AFIDI application must be 

accompanied by a note specifying the test to be carried out and a sworn statement by the 

importer that the material is to be imported for experimental purposes. Depending on the case, 

the material will be subject to the post-entry quarantine process. 

AFIDI validity period

The validity period is variable, depending on the proposed use of the plant product to be 

imported. In the case of products for consumption, peat and seed for laboratory use: TWO 

months; for propagation: NINE months. In the latter case, a specific quantity of material 

will be authorized, which may be imported at different times with the same document, until 

the full amount is reached and until the expiry date. 
44

Unauthorized use of products

In the case of products that enter the country for consumption, industrial or processing 

purposes, but whose botanical and physiological characteristics make them usable for 

propagation (bulbs, seed, tubers, etc.), the AFIDI application form must be accompanied by a 

sworn statement regarding the use to be made of the product. A model statement appears at the 

end of this annex. 

The penalties for unauthorized use of the product are set forth in Decree Law 6704/63 and 

Decree 2266/91.

Fees

Resolution SAGPyA N° 782 (1999-11-23) prescribes the fee to be charged for the AFIDI.

Conditions of payment:

- Payment may be made at any branch of the Banco de la Nación Argentina or at the 

SENASA head office, Paseo Colón N° 367, Planta Baja, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos 

Aires.

- Payment must be made by means of deposit slip (blank) to account 2864/24 –Plaza de 

Mayo branch – SENASA 50/623 RECAUDADORA F.12

- The fee code must be entered on the deposit slip. The codes are as follows:

DIRECTORATE CODE DESCRIPTION

UNIT OF 

MEASUREMENTDUTY PER UNIT

Plant Quarantine 

Directorate 123-A

AFIDI for products for 

consumption or industrial 

use (commercial cargoes, 

mail, passengers, etc.)

ONE per plant 

species (valid for 

60 days)

$ 12.- (for each 60 tons 

or fraction thereof). For 

wood $12.- (for each 60 

m

3 or fraction thereof)

Plant Quarantine 

Directorate 150

AFIDI for propagating 

material for commercial, 

experimental or officialagency use (commercial 

cargoes, mail, passengers, 

etc.)

ONE for AFIDI 

General Service*

$ 102.- for AFIDI 

General Service on 

each customs clearance 

(regardless of number 

of AFIDIs)

- It is not necessary to make any payment when requesting the AFIDI.

- AFIDIs for products for consumption will be valid for SIXTY days and no quantity will 

be specified therein.

- The AFIDI will cover partial payments (inward customs clearance), so that the same 

AFIDI may be used for any number of shipments within the validity period specified in 

the issued AFIDI.

- The fee must be paid upon arrival of each import shipment, i.e. TWELVE PESOS 

($12.-) for each SIXTY tons or fraction thereof; or, in the case of wood, for each 
45

SIXTY CUBIC METERS (60 m3) or fraction thereof, according to the number of

tons/m3imported in each shipment.

- Stub 3 (AFIDI fee payment) must be presented to the SENASA inspector processing 

the import shipment. The inspector will put the stub and the original of the AFIDI in the 

first file opened and will seal and put the file number initiated on an authenticated 

photocopy of the AFIDI, which must be presented at the time of arrival of the next 

shipment of the same type of goods, together with the new payment stub. The validity

period is SIXTY days.

- The AFIDI fee for propagating material is ONE HUNDRED TWO PESOS ($102.-) and 

corresponds to general AFIDI service for each shipment, regardless of the number of 

AFIDIs issued.

- In the case of propagating material, the amount to be imported must be specified. The 

AFIDI issued may be used for partial receipts of the goods, i.e. it may be used for one 

or more shipments during the validity period specified in the AFIDI issued. The AFIDI 

will be valid for NINE months.

- Stub 3 (payment of AFIDI fee of ONE HUNDRED TWO PESOS) must be presented to 

the SENASA inspector processing the import shipment, which may include one or more 

species. The inspector will put the stub and the original of the AFIDI in the first file 

opened and will seal and put the file number initiated on an authenticated photocopy of

the AFIDI, which must be presented at the time of the next shipment of the same type 

of goods, together with the new payment stub. The AFIDI will be valid for NINE 

months.

- Each month the local office must send the Plant Quarantine Directorate photocopies of 

the payment stubs received, in which the corresponding AFIDI numbers are entered, so 

that the Directorate can create its own file. 

- No processing will be done without proof of payment (Stub 3).

- If payment is made by cheque, the cheque must be made payable to account 2864/24 –

Plaza de Mayo branch – SENASA 50/623 RECAUDADORA F.12, or to the BANCO 

DE LA NACION ARGENTINA, with the following note on the back of the cheque: 

“For deposit to account 2864/24 –Plaza de Mayo branch – SENASA 50/623 

RECAUDADORA F.12”.