On 23 January 2017, the Boletin Oficial (Official Gazette) published Decree 51/2017 (20 January 2017) (by the President with the agreement of the Ministers) to remove the congestion of goods being stored by the Customs Service. The Decree requires the Customs service to turn over nearly 3,000 shipments that have not been properly entered, are violative of IPR laws, or are restricted in some manner, etc. to the Ministry of Social Development for disposal, social use or goverment use, after verification, tariff classification and ex officio valuation. The Ministry of Defense will be in charge of designating the premises necessary to carry out the logistics and storage of the goods. The marketing of such goods by any of the interveners or addressees in the process is strictly prohibited. The Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers shall establish the terms for disposing of the goods and the withdrawal of the merchandise for use by the national, provincial, municipal or Autonomous City of Buenos Aires or designated non-governmental organizations. The Decree also establishes an “ad hoc” commission, consisting of the General Directorate of Customs, the National Service of Health and Food Quality (SENASA), the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT), the National Food Institute (INAL) and the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI), which will comply with the previous interventions that are necessary for the early customs clearance of the merchandise with the corresponding certifications. The Decree provides for notice, sampling and removal of violative IP markings.
