Cristian Galarza from ASAP debunks the most common myths about imports in Argentina

ASAP is a comprehensive foreign trade and logistics services  companywith over 40 years of experience in the market. Its team of specialized professionals develops services tailored to each client. Its General Manager, Cristian Galarza, gave an informative talk via Zoom to a specialized audience entitled "Imports: Myths vs. Reality." He explained the most common myths about imports in Argentina and how they can affect businesses.

Throughout the briefing, Cristian Galarza demystified several key issues that arise in the world of Argentine imports. For example, whether customs inspects all merchandise, whether the "cepo" (import controls) still exists, whether the electrical certification standard is still in place, and other key points that continue to cause confusion among importers.

Customs and merchandise

For example, regarding the myth that customs can hold an importer's excess merchandise, Galarza explained that  "customs doesn't hold the merchandise; it can only delay it. If this happens, a complaint is filed, and then the merchandise is released immediately.

If it's ultimately determined to be prohibited merchandise, it's repackaged or destroyed, but it's not held by customs. There could be customs auctions; these relate to abandoned merchandise, not this type of thing.

Does the electrical safety standard still exist?

Galarza explained, "There are many people who believe that the electrical safety standard no longer exists. In general, importers, even regular importers, told me last month, 'Oh, how great that electrical safety no longer exists, I don't have to certify it.' But that's not the case. The electrical safety standard exists."

 He added that the regulations "were greatly simplified, but the products must be certified. The thing is, customs no longer intervenes."

 Stocks, yes or no?

 Galarza then addressed the "myth of whether I can pay freely. No, I can't pay freely yet. There are restrictions. There are discussions about whether there are restrictions or not, call it what you will. There are restrictions. Some say we're out of the restrictions, others say we're not."

And he added, “But it’s much simpler than it was before.”

Another topic discussed was the MEP dollar, and he explained that it's possible to trade with that currency, but the problem is that it restricts my access to the foreign exchange market, which isn't a problem for those who aren't regular traders.

Among other myths about the import world discussed in the talk was the discussion about whether textile imports carry stamps , and it was clarified that " no longer do so. Neither do textile imports and many other imports, such as footwear, toys, etc., which used to carry a merchandise identification regime, except in very specific cases. And this saves a lot of time and money because we had to request the stamps, go get them, label them, which in many cases was very time-consuming, then inform them when we had finished, and wait for the inspection to come."

Finally, Galarza answered two questions exclusively for SoloAzar readers:

Why are there so many myths about imports today? And why is it necessary to debunk them?

Because import restrictions created a climate of uncertainty, and the constant changes in the COMEX system caused importers to become extremely confused, to the point of not knowing "where we stand."

 What is the importance of organizing and participating in this type of conference? And what conclusions do you draw from this opportunity?

For importers (or anyone who wants to be one), having clear information is essential. In the gaming sector, where restrictions were more profound than in other industries, the wound was more severe, and distrust is greater. Let's remember that before the restrictions came, we had a pandemic, where casinos were the first to close and the last to open. And then the restrictions. Importers in the sector lost their fitness and had become outdated. That's why these informative talks are very useful for them.