DS: Argentina — Measures Affecting the Importation of Goods

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Summary of the dispute to date

The summary below was up-to-date at

Consultations

Complaint by Mexico. (See also DS438, DS444 and DS445)

On 24 August 2012, Mexico requested consultations with Argentina concerning certain measures imposed by Argentina on the importation of goods.

Mexico challenges: (i) the requirement to present for approval of a non-automatic import licence: Declaración Jurada Anticipada de Importación (DJAI); (ii) non-automatic licences required for the importation of certain goods, in the form of Certificados de Importación (CIs) or Certificados de Libre Circulación (CLCs); (iii) requirements imposed on importers to undertake certain trade-restrictive commitments; (iv) the alleged systematic delay in granting import licences or refusal to grant such licences, or the grant of import licences subject to importers undertaking to comply with certain allegedly trade-restrictive commitments; and (v) the conformity assessment procedure for those imported products for which a technical regulation prescribes an examination of their content of lead and other heavy metals.  Under the procedure, only entities recognized by Argentina may issue conformity certificates. 

Mexico claims that the challenged measures appear to be inconsistent with:

• Articles III:4, VIII, X:1, X:2, X:3 and XI:1 of the GATT 1994;
   
• Articles 2 and 6 of the TRIMs Agreement;
   
• Articles 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 2.2, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 and 5.4 of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures;
   
• Article 4.2 of the Agreement on Agriculture;
   
• Article 11 of the Safeguards Agreement; and
   
• Articles 2.1 and 2.2 of the TBT Agreement.

On 30 August 2102, Guatemala and Turkey requested to join the consultations.  On 31 August 2012, Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan and the United States requested to join the consultations. Subsequently, Argentina informed the DSB that it had accepted the requests of Australia, Canada, the European Union, Guatemala, Japan, Turkey and the United States to join the consultations. On 21 November 2012, Mexico requested the establishment of a panel.  Prior to the adoption of the agenda, Mexico withdrew its request for the establishment of a panel from the agenda of the DSB meeting on 17 December 2012.