New Digital Procedure to Release Guarantees on Imports from the Special Customs Area

Goods originated in the Special Customs Area (or SCA, an area created in the current Province of Tierra del Fuego AIAS pursuant to Law No. 19,640) result in tax benefits when imported to the Argentine continental territory. To that end, collateral is required in an amount equal to the tax benefit until the importer validates the SCA origin of the goods.

Under the current procedure, the now Ministry of Production and Environment of Tierra del Fuego is in charge of issuing the required certificates of origin of all goods originated in the SCA. Once the origin of the goods is validated, its collateral is released.

However, the authorities saw the need for a speedier oversight and collateral release set up in favor of the Argentine Tax Authority (“AFIP,” after its acronym in Spanish) in imports involving goods originated in the SCA.

Thus, Joint General Resolution No. 5045/2021 was issued so that collateral can be released through a digital process that allows validating the origin of the goods imported from the SCA and the information exchanged by both entities.