The Argentine government has decided to eliminate the Statistical Import System (SEDI) with the aim of speeding up the import processes and creating a more favorable environment for trade exchanges. The SEDI was implemented to replace the old Import System of the Argentine Republic (SIRA) and the scheme of automatic and non-automatic licenses.
The Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, announced this measure which will be published in the Official Bulletin through a joint resolution of the Revenue and Customs Control Agency (ARCA) and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. Caputo explained that the elimination of the SEDI is due to the determination that it fulfilled the objectives of normalizing, clarifying, organizing, and streamlining the import system.
According to Joint General Resolution 5466/2023 of the Federal Administration of Public Revenues (AFIP) and the Ministry of Commerce, the SEDI came into force with the aim of simplifying and speeding up the import processes by eliminating discretion in the approval of trade operations. Despite this, the SEDI did not exempt from tariff payments for imports but simplified the declaration and approval process.
One of the main modifications introduced by the SEDI was the elimination of non-automatic licenses, allowing any importer to conduct operations without the need for prior approval. After achieving the proposed objectives, the repeal of the system was decided. Caputo assured that policies will continue to be implemented to facilitate trade exchanges transparently and efficiently, ensuring conditions for competition.
The repeal of the SEDI is part of a series of measures promoted by the Ministry of Economy to simplify procedures and reduce bureaucracy in foreign trade. The SEDI, a tool developed to oversee and regulate the flow of imports in Argentina, aimed primarily to obtain advance information about import operations and to monitor statistical data on the importation of goods.
