U.S.-Argentina Business Council Policy Priorities
I. Overarching Priorities
- Promote bilateral cooperation and help drive policies that ensure the appropriate environment for sustainable growth in trade and investment.
- Strengthen the rule of law to increase predictability, stability, and transparency in Argentina.
- Support Argentina’s efforts to stabilize its economy, fulfill its commitments under the IMF program, and kick-start a process of sustainable growth.
- Support Argentina’s OECD Accession.
II. Trade and Investment: Encourage both governments to expand and deepen their cooperation to foster an open, transparent, and predictable environment for trade and investment.
- Support the consolidation of a unified exchange rate and the lifting of restrictions in the foreign exchange market.
- Urge for the prompt deregulation of the economy to promote competition.
- Promote the signing and ratification of negotiated free trade agreements and/or alternative trade protocols like a cooperation agreement and the opening of negotiations with key trading partners.
- Encourage trade facilitation and digitalization, through the improvement of all functionalities of the Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCE), modernizing the express delivery regulatory regime, ensuring that all relevant trade procedures can be carried out online and through a single-entry point.
- Advocate for easier Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) accreditation for relevant national commercial operators, including other industries (such as express operations) in the program, and the promotion of mutual recognition agreements with foreign customs offices.
- Recommend that through Best Regulatory Practices, the importance of the reduction of costs and time for compliance certification with technical regulations, including a self-certification scheme or minimizing the involvement of state-accredited organizations.
- Advance opportunities through the incentive regime for large investments (RIGI) that are flexible and clear to potential investors.
III. Energy & Critical Minerals: Encourage Argentina to materialize its energy and critical minerals potential, developing the necessary infrastructure and implementing market-oriented rules for the sector.
- Advocate for the exploration of investment opportunities with critical minerals, specifically lithium and copper.
- Press for the introduction of credible policies to progressively repatriate dividends and eventually lift capital controls.
- Defend the implementation of an adjustment of energy tariffs to reflect market conditions, reducing distorting subsidies until their full elimination.
- Encourage the gradual elimination of export permits and transition to a free-market scheme as production increases and meets local demand.
- Endorse the development of critical infrastructure (e.g., Vaca Muerta pipelines, LNG import and export terminals) and facilitation of investment in infrastructure, including through public-private partnerships.
IV. Innovation: Work with both governments to cooperate to create positive ecosystems for investment in technology, science, and research.
- Urge the adoption of a modern data protection law that ensures the free, secure, and efficient flow of data.
- Recommend accelerating the implementation of 5G technology at the federal level, network upgrades and high-capacity broadband deployment for data-intensive technologies.
- Encourage secure network infrastructure with robust observability, the adoption of cybersecurity measures, and the removal of outdated devices from critical infrastructures.
- Advocate for the repeal of restrictive patentability criteria and the extension of intellectual property rights protection to all types of chemical and pharmaceutical innovations.
- Support the recognition of the patentability of living matter.
- Encourage the adoption of UPOV 91 standards to ensure the protection of plant varieties.
- Defend the extension of data exclusivity protection and recognition of its exclusivity.
- Endorse the modification of patent terms that promote an innovative environment and consider delays that are not attributable to innovators.
- Advance the implementation of a capacity development program focused on the importance of intellectual property rights enforcement.