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On 23 December 2015, under the umbrella of the recently created Import Monitoring System (“SIMI” according to its Spanish acronym), the Ministry of Production published in the Boletín Oficial Resolution 5/2015 (22 December 2015), establishing a new system of automatic and non automatic import licenses applicable to all final imports into Argentina. Automatic Import Licenses (“ALs”) apply to all the goods included in the Mercosur Tariff Schedule (“NCM”). To obtain such ALs, importers must provide to the SIMI the following information: (i) name of the importer; (ii) tax ID number of the importer; (iii) tariff item number of the goods to be imported; (iv) unit FOB value in foreign currency; (v) total FOB value in foreign currency; (vi) total FOB total in US Dollars (if the foreign currency is different from it); (vii) type and quantity of units; (viii) total quantity in statistical units; (ix) trademark; (x) model; (xi) version (if applicable); (xii) goods conditions; (xiii) country of origin; (xiv) country of provenance. Regarding non automatic licenses (“NALs”), the same cover around one thousand tariff item numbers of the NCM (out of a total of 19,000 approximately) listed in Schedules II through XVII of Resolution 5. To obtain a NAL, the importer must first file with the SIMI the information required for the ALs and then, within ten working days of such filing, it must file the specific information required for each type of goods and also indicated in such Schedules. The information required varies with the type of products. In general, it is related with certification requirements, compliance with technical norms and product specific information, among others. The Secretary of Commerce has the right to request further information, if needed. Both ALs and NALs shall have a validity of ninety days as from their approval. Goods imported under the sample, donations and diplomatic franchises regime, as well as those imported under the courier regime –provided the importer is the final user of the goods- are exempted from the licensing requirements. For additional information, please contact Esteban Rópolo, Rufino Beccar Varela or Francisco Solá. |
