Government Reduces Mandatory Local Procurement to 10% and Enables Automatic Release of Guarantees for Used Production Line Imports – Trade News | 27/06/26

The Argentine government has reformed the Used Production Line Import Regime through Decree 483/2026, introducing changes aimed at streamlining procedures, reducing delays, and aligning the framework with current industrial and trade policies. Among the main modifications, the decree reduces the mandatory purchase of new domestically manufactured goods to 10% of the FOB value of imported used equipment, while allowing those purchases to be allocated not only to the approved production line but also to other company activities or to the production lines of direct suppliers. The reform also expands the scope of the regime to include production lines dedicated to electricity generation, adds used equipment designed for pollution control, and maintains the provisions covering automated “smart warehouses.” In addition, the decree establishes a maximum age limit of 20 years for imported used equipment, extendable to 30 years if the equipment has been rebuilt or upgraded. From an administrative standpoint, it redefines the Certificate of Pending Proceedings (CET), establishes clear deadlines for project implementation and reporting, and introduces an automatic release of customs guarantees when the competent authorities fail to issue observations within six months after the reporting deadline. At the same time, it strengthens the penalty regime by providing the full execution of guarantees, additional financial penalties, and three-year disqualifications in cases involving fraudulent documentation. Finally, the decree mandates the digital processing of the regime through the Argentine Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCEA) and the Malvina Information System, although its practical implementation will depend on complementary regulations to be issued within 30 days by the Secretariat of Industry, Commerce and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and the Agencia de Recaudación y Control Aduanero. Link to Article