Pursuant to Communication “A” 6818 dated October 28, 2019, the Argentine Central Bank updated the foreign exchange regulations applicable to payments of imports and other purchases of goods. The new regulatory framework introduces relevant improvements, such us the regulation of import financings, which until now were not specifically contemplated in the regulation, and the reimplementation of the SEPAIMPO, a monitoring regime of payments of imports.

Below are the key takeaways of the new regime:

  1. General Provisions

The general rule is that Argentine importers may access to the local foreign exchange market to make payments of imports of goods and other purchases of goods, subject to certain conditions provided in the regulation (for further detail, see points 3 and 4 below). The payment includes any concept that is part of the purchase condition registered in the invoice issued by the foreign supplier.

Payments of imports of goods are divided in two types: (i) payments of imports that have customs clearance and (ii) payments of imports with customs clearance pending. In both cases, the access to the foreign exchange market includes the payment of commercial debt incurred to finance such imports of goods, including, among others: (a) financing provided by the foreign supplier, (b) financing provided by a foreign export credit agency, and (c) financing provided by a local or foreign financial entity where disbursements are used, net of costs and expenses, to pay to the foreign supplier directly.

The regulation of import financing is a positive aspect of the new regime. Until now, the foreign exchange regulations did not distinguish between financial indebtedness and commercial indebtedness, and the direct application of the disbursement to pay the exporter was not allowed. From now on, disbursements of import financings may be used to pay to the foreign supplier directly, and the requirement to repatriate and convert the loan to Pesos will not be applicable, as it occurs with financial indebtedness.

  1. Tracking System of Payments of Imports (“SEPAIMPO”)

The SEPAIMPO is a system implemented by the Argentine Central Bank to track the payments of imports, as well as to monitor the nationalization of the goods associated with advance payments of imports. For each import, the importer shall appoint a financial institution as monitoring entity. The monitoring entity shall verify the conditions to make payments and track the nationalization of the goods associated with an advance payment.

  1. Payments of Imports with Customs Clearance

The importers may purchase foreign currency in the local exchange market for the payment of imports with customs clearance registered in the SEPAIMPO, as long as the monitoring entity verifies the following requirements, among others:

  1. Proof of customs clearance, copy of the invoice, copy of the shipping document, and verifies that the beneficiary of the payment is the foreign supplier or the financial institution or export credit agency that financed the purchase.
  2. The sale of foreign currency is made against debit to a local account of the importer.
  3. The payment is not made before the due date of the obligation. Prepayments require prior approval by the Argentine Central Bank.
  1. Payment of Imports with Customs Clearance Pending

4.1. Advance Payments

The monitoring entity may grant access to the foreign exchange market for advance payments, provided that the following requirements are met, among others:

  1. Receives documentation to determine the existence of the purchase and the requirement of advance payment prior to the date of delivery of the goods.
  2. The beneficiary of the payment is the foreign supplier.
  3. The sale of foreign currency is made against debit to a local account of the importer.
  4. Receives an affidavit from the client in which it undertakes to obtain customs clearance of the goods within 90 calendar days from the date of payment, or to repatriate and convert the payment to Pesos within such period. Prior Argentine Central Bank approval shall be obtained for advance payments to affiliates or if longer periods are required.
  5. The amount to be paid is reasonable.
  6. The client has not defaulted previous advance payments.

4.2. Payment at Sight against Shipping Documents

The monitoring entity may grant access to the foreign exchange market for payments at sight, provided that the following requirements are met, among others:

  1. Receives copy of the invoice.
  2. Receives copy of the shipping documents.
  3. Receives documentation setting forth the obligation to pay at sight against the presentation of shipping documentation.
  4. The beneficiary of the payment is the foreign supplier, the foreign financial entity or the official credit agency that financed the advance payment to the exporter.
  5. The sale of foreign currency is made against debit to a local account of the importer.
  6. Receives an affidavit from the client in which it undertakes to obtain customs clearance of the goods within 90 calendar days from the date of payment, or to repatriate and convert the funds to Pesos within such period.

For more information, do not hesitate to contact Marcelo R. Tavarone, Federico Salim, Julieta De Ruggiero or Francisco Molina Portela.