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Government Simplifies Controls, Eliminates Hurdles for Battery Imports
🇦🇷 Argentina /Economy & Trade

Government Simplifies Controls, Eliminates Hurdles for Battery Imports

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • Argentina's government has approved a new technical regime to simplify controls and reduce administrative burdens for importing and selling batteries.
  • The measure aims to streamline procedures and modernize control mechanisms without compromising quality, safety, or environmental standards.
  • The new system replaces previous procedures with a conformity declaration system, recognizing foreign certifications to avoid duplicate processes.

The Argentine government has officially approved a modernized system for regulating the import and sale of batteries and cells, aiming to significantly simplify procedures and reduce administrative burdens. This "new technical regime," detailed in Joint Resolution 1/2026 published in the Official Bulletin, seeks to streamline controls and eliminate bureaucratic hurdles without sacrificing quality, safety, or environmental protection standards. The changes, which align with the government's broader deregulation and de-bureaucratization agenda, will take effect on June 18.

Key changes include replacing previous complex procedures with a system based on sworn conformity declarations and more agile evaluation mechanisms. The new framework also recognizes certifications issued by accredited foreign technical bodies, thereby eliminating redundant processes and costs for manufacturers, assemblers, and importers. This move is expected to facilitate the import and commercialization of everyday items that rely on batteries, such as watches, toys, remote controls, calculators, and flashlights.

If a battery has already proven its conformity with internationally recognized technical bodies, Argentina recognizes that accreditation without forcing the repetition of the entire procedure from scratch.

— Federico Sturzeneggerexplaining the benefit of recognizing foreign certifications.

Federico Sturzenegger, the Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation, highlighted that the reform targets bureaucratic obstacles that unnecessarily increased product costs. "If a battery has already proven its conformity with internationally recognized technical bodies, Argentina recognizes that accreditation without forcing the repetition of the entire procedure from scratch," he stated. He further explained that prior import and commercialization authorizations are being eliminated, with compliance now verified through a sworn declaration.

While simplifying processes, the new regulations maintain essential requirements regarding the maximum permissible levels of mercury, cadmium, and lead in batteries, ensuring continued protection for public health and the environment. Products found to violate these parameters will be classified as hazardous waste. The government asserts that these measures will reduce costs and improve access to essential goods, aligning with its economic policy objectives.

Prior authorizations to import and commercialize are disappearing, and compliance is verified through a sworn declaration of conformity.

— Federico Sturzeneggerdescribing the shift from prior authorizations to self-declarations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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