Importing Motor Vehicles Into Argentina from the USA
When shipping goods and commodities to any given country, it is always advisable to be made aware of the various regulations currently being imposed in the country in question. In Argentina, for example, certain imported items like automobiles are subject to several restrictions and will need to be accompanied by a number of legal documents.
Obviously, the most essential of these documents is a valid passport. This is usually presented to Argentine customs authorities upon claiming the shipment. If the consignee or the one receiving the shipment is a foreigner, then a permanent residence visa also needs to be presented. If the visa is of the temporary type, the imported item (e.g., a vehicle), can only be kept temporarily and will normally depend on the length of time shown on the visa held by the consignee. In the event that the consignee renews his/her visa, then the shipped vehicle will be allowed to stay. Otherwise, this will have to leave Argentina before the expiration of the visa.
It should be noted that for all imports and exports made, Argentina only allows one transaction for both air and sea shipments. If the item is an automobile, it should reach Argentina at least six months after the consignee arrives in the country. The car should ideally be second-hand since a new one is subject to the guidelines set by the Ministry of Commerce, including the make and model of the car in question. The exception to this is a foreign diplomat who has the privilege of choosing to import either a new or a used automobile.
The imported car should be registered under the name of the consignee and should have been bought by the same at least three months before he/she entered Argentina. If the car is for private use, additional taxes may apply, with an adult allowed only to use one automobile with the provision that the vehicle will not be sold to a third party at least a year after the date of clearance from the customs office. If the shipment is consigned to a family, two members can be provided one car each.
A number of other documents, apart from the passport and a visa, are also expected from customers who arrive at the Argentine customs office claiming a shipped imported vehicle. These include the original copies of the invoice of purchase, the car title certificate, the car license and the two Ocean Bills of Ladings which should both be under the name of the shipper.
Two other required documents should be presented by the consignee in this regard. One is the Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate, and the other is the Certificate from the Argentine Consulate which is considered mandatory in Argentine customs, although this is technically applicable only to returning Argentine citizens. The certificate basically verifies that the consignee has been residing in his country of origin for one whole year.
For taxes or duties due to Argentine customs, the consignee will be charged about 78.20% of the cost insurance freight (CIF) value of the shipped vehicle. However, this only applies to cars running on standard gasoline. For diesel-based automobiles, the charge is 100% of the CIF rate, while motorcycles get only 65% of the CIF. Consignees are reminded that these duties need to be paid in full before their claimed vehicles can be released.