ARGENTINA – MEASURES AFFECTING THE IMPORTATION OF GOODS
Document: Request for Consultations by the European Union
Date: 30 May 2012
Document codes: WT/DS438/1; G/L/989; G/AG/GEN/101; G/LIC/D/40; G/TRIMS/D/29; G/SG/D42/1
Complainant: EU
Respondent: Argentina
Third parties: Australia, Canada, China, Ecuador, Guatemala, India, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, U.S.
Dispute stage: Appellate Body
Agreements cited: Art. X:1, X:3, XI:1  GATT 1994Art. 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 3.2, 3.3, 3.5(f)  Import LicensingArt. III:4  GATT 1994

ARGENTINA – MEASURES AFFECTING THE IMPORTATION
OF GOODS

Request for Consultations by the European Union

 The following communication, dated 25 May 2012, from the delegation of the
European Union to the delegation of Argentina an d to the Chairperson of the Dispute Settlement
Body, is circulated in accordance with Article 4.4 of the DSU.

My authorities have instructed me to request consultations with the Government of the
Republic of Argentina ("Argentina"), pursuant to Articles 1 and 4 of the Understanding on Rules and
Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes , Article XXII of the General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade, 1994 (GATT 1994), Article 19 of the Agreement on Agriculture , Article 6 of the
Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures and (the ILP Agreement) Article 8 of the Agreement on
Trade Related Investment Measures (the TRIMS Agreement) and Article 14 of the Agreement on
Safeguards, with respect to certain measures imposed by Argentina on the importation of goods into
Argentina.
Argentina subjects the importation of goods into Argentina to the presentation for approval
(validación) of a so-called Declaración Jurada Anticipada de Importación (DJAI). The relevant legal
instruments are listed in Annex I.
Argentina subjects the importation of certain goods into Argentina to various types of
licenses: Licencias No Automáticas de Importación in the form of Certificados de Importación (CIs);
Licencias Automáticas Previas de Importación ( LAPI); and Certificados de Libre Circulación
(CLCs). The legal instruments providing for these measures are listed in Annex II, Annex III and
Annex IV, respectively.
Argentina often requires the importers of goods to undertake certain commitments, including,
inter alia, to limit their imports, to balance them with exports, to make or increase their investments in
production facilities in Argentina, to increase the lo cal content of the products they manufacture in
Argentina, not to transfer benefits abroad and/or to control their prices.
The issuance of LAPIs, CIs and CLCs and the approval of DJAIs is being systematically
delayed or refused by the Argentinean authorities on non-transparent grounds. Often the Argentinean
authorities make the issuance of LAPIs, CIs and CLC and the approval of DJIAs conditional upon the
importers undertaking to comply with the trade restrictive commitments mentioned above.
WT/DS438/1, G/L/989,
G/AG/GEN/101, G/LIC/D/40,
G/TRIMS/D/29, G/SG/D42/1

These measures restrict imports of goods and discriminate between imported and domestic
goods. They do not appear to be related to the implementation of any measure justified under the
WTO Agreement, but instead aimed at advancing th e Argentinean Government's stated policies of
re-industrialization, import substitution and elimination of trade balance deficits.
The legal measures through which Argentina impos es these restrictions include, but are not
limited to, the legal instruments listed in the A nnexes, as well as any amendments, replacements,
extensions, implementing measures or related measures.
Argentina's measures appear to be inconsis tent with Argentina's obligations under the
following provisions of the covered agreements:
(i) Articles III:4, VIII; X:1, X:3 and XI:1 of the GATT 1994;
(ii) Article 2 of the TRIMs Agreement;
(iii) Articles 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 2.2, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and 3.5 of the ILP Agreement.
(iv) Article 4.2 of the Agreement on Agriculture;
(v) Article 11 of the Safeguards Agreement.
Argentina's measures appear to nullify or impair the benefits accruing to the European Union
directly or indirectly under the covered agreements.
The European Union reserves the right to ra ise additional measures and claims regarding
these matters in the course of the consultations.
The European Union looks forward to receiving in due course a reply from Argentina to this
request. The European Union is ready to consider with Argentina mutually convenient dates to hold
consultations.

WT/DS438/1, G/L/989,
 G/AG/GEN/101, G/LIC/D/40,
 G/TRIMS/D/29, G/SG/D42/1

Annex I
Declaración Jurada Anticipada de Importación
(DJAI)
– Resolución AFIP 3252/2012
– Resolución AFIP 3255/2012
– Resolución AFIP 3256/2012
– Resolución AFIP 3276/2012
– Resolución SCI 1/2012
– Comunicación del Banco Central “A” 5134 of 1.11.2010
– Any amendments, replacements, extensions, implementing measures or related measures.

Annex II
Non-automatic licenses (Licencias No Automáticas de Importación) in the form of import
certificates (Certificados de Importacion)
– Import certificate for shoes ( productos del sector calzado ) - C.I.C.: Resolución MEyOSP 977/99,
Resolución SICM 736/99 and Resolución MEyP 486/2005
– Import certificate for paper ( papel) – C.I.P.: Resolución MEyOSP 1117/99 and Resolución
SICyM 798/99
– Import certificate for household products ( artículos para el hogar ) - C.I.A.H.: Resolución MEyP
444/2004 and Resolución SICPME 177/2004;
– Import certificate for toys (juguetes) – C.I.J.: Resolución MEyP 485/2005
– Import certificate for motorcycles (motocicletas) – C.I.M. : Resolución MEyP 689/2006,
– Import Certificate for bicycle tyres ( cubiertas y neumáticos de bicicleta ): - C.I.C.C.N.B. :
Resolución MEyP 694/2006
– Import certificate for miscella neous manufactured products ( manufacturas diversas ) – C.I.M.D.:
Resolución MEyP 47/2007
– Import certificate for shoe parts (partes de calzado) – C.I.P.C.: Resolución MEyP 61/2007
– Import certificate for balls (pelotas) C.I.P.: Resolución MEyP 217/2007
– Import certificate for textile products (productos textiles) – C.I.P.T. : Resolución MEyP 343/2007
– Import certificate for metal products ( productos metalúrgicos ) – C.I.P.M: Resolución MEyP
588/2008
– Import certificate for yarns (hilados y tejidos) – C.I.H.T.: Resolución MEyP 589/2008
– Import certificate for tyres (neumáticos) – C.I.N: Resolución MP 26/2009
– Import certificate for miscellaneous products ( productos varios ) – C.I.P.V.: Resolución MP
61/2009
WT/DS438/1, G/L/989,
G/AG/GEN/101, G/LIC/D/40,
G/TRIMS/D/29, G/SG/D42/1

– Import certificate for screws and similar products ( tornillos y afines ) – C.I.T.A.: Resolución MP
165/2009
– Import certificate for autorparts (autopartes y afines) – C.I.A.P.A.: Resolución MP 337/2009
– Import certificate for motor vehicles (vehículos automóviles) – C.I.V.A.: Resolución MI 45/2011
– Any amendments, replacements, extensions, implementing measures or related measures.

Annex III
Automatic import licenses
(Licencias Automáticas Previas de Importación or LAPI)
– Resolución MEyOSP 17/99
– Resolución SICM 59/99
– Resolución SICM 150/99
– Resolución MEyOSP 820/99
– Resolución SICM 465/99 y AFIP 451/99
– Decreto PEN 509/2007
– Any amendments, replacements, extensions, implementing measures or related measures.

Annex IV
Certificados de Libre Importación for food products
– Ley 1824/1969
– Decreto 2092/1991
– Resolución M.S y A.S. 876/97
– Resolución ANMATM 5434/98.
– Any amendments, replacements, extensions, implementing measures or related measures.