Argentina: after massive complaints, government breaks agchem imports

The government of Argentina has determined that the imports of several agrochemicals will not have “automatic licenses” anymore. The agrochemicals and other inputs produced in other countries should be submitted to the approval of The National Health and Food Quality Service (Senasa), which would have 60 days to make a technical evaluation of the product.

The decision was taken mostly to attend the lobby of the national chemical industry, who complained for the big part of shipping of formulated products – especially from China, which represent 80% of the imports. Argentinians also have questioned the standard of quality of the goods that have entered in the country.

The resolution 301 of the Trade Secretariat, published at the Official Gazzete also includes products of other sectors, besides some raw material for formulation and commercial products. Among those, there is the glyphosate, paraguat and 2,4 D, and other herbicides and fungicides.

"This does not mean that imports are not allowed. Those that make it correctly and follow the quality standards and technical norms will not have difficulties,” said the president of the Chamber of the Argentine Industry of Fertilizers and Agrochemicals, Marcos Prenna. According to the industry, the products that do not have automatic license represent 30% of the market of agrochemicals in Argentina, which had a revenue of US$ 2.45 billion in 2015.

The imports of formulated product would jump from the current US$ 600 million registered last year to around US$ 750 million in 2016. This growth of 25% is not due to the increase of surface, but for the release of imports, which were very restricted in the previous government administration.