U.S.-Argentina Business Council Policy Priorities
I. Overarching Priorities
- Promote free enterprise, competition and open markets as the key drivers of policy reform and ensure a strong business environment for the expansion of bilateral trade and investment.
- Advance recommendations that serve to increase predictability, stability, and transparency as Argentina implements deep structural reforms.
- Support Argentina’s efforts to stabilize and open its economy to drive a processof long-term sustainable growth.
- Support the full implementation and operationalization of the U.S.-Argentina Trade and Investment Framework (ARTI).
- Support Argentina in the implementation of the IMF program.
- Champion Argentina’s OECD Accession providing private-sector input and supporting adoption/implementation of OECD instruments and standards relevant to investment and competitiveness.
- Coordinate collaboration with the reestablished Argentina Congressional Caucus and U.S.-Argentina Parliamentary Friendship Group.
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 remaining capital controls.
- Urge continued deregulation of the economy to promote competition across sectors, digitalization, and simplification of processes.
- Promote a robust trade relationship, building on the recently announced Framework for a United States–Argentina Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and Investment (ARTI) as a stepping-stone toward deeper trade integration.
- Encourage trade facilitation and digitalization, in line with WTO and WCO principles and recommendations, by improving the Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCE), modernizing the express delivery regulatory regime, implementing pre-arrival processing and clearance of imports, enabling online single-entry trade procedures as well as advocating for easier Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) accreditation, expanding industry inclusion (such as express operations) in the program, and mutual recognition agreements with foreign customs offices.
- Support Argentina’s commitment to align its intellectual property framework with international standards, including its intention to adhere to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), to ensure U.S. companies receive reciprocal treatment in Argentina as Argentine companies do in the U.S.
- Recommend Good Regulatory Practices and 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.
- Identify best practices with the Argentine government to advance, extend, and expand opportunities through the incentive regime for large investments (RIGI) that are flexible and clear to potential investors.
- Encourage the government to advance a comprehensive labor and tax reform agenda, aimed at reducing the tax burden, simplifying processes, and improving competitiveness.
- Support the Argentine government’s efforts on privatization and promotion of a market-driven economy.
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.
- Defend the liberalization of energy tariffs to reflect market conditions, reducing distorting subsidies until their full elimination.
- Encourage the elimination of export taxes 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, export terminals, roads, and electricity) and facilitation of investment in infrastructure, including through public-private partnerships.
- Advocate for strengthened U.S.–Argentina bilateral cooperation on critical minerals with a view to advancing toward a more comprehensive framework agreement that supports resilient and diversified supply chains in the Western Hemisphere.
- Encourage the modernization of the Glacier Protection Law.
IV. Innovation: Work with both governments to cooperate to create positive ecosystems for investment in technology, science, and research.
- Support and help shape the reform of Argentina’s data protection law, with the objective of ensuring a flexible regulatory framework that does not restrict technological advancement and enables the free, secure, and efficient flow of data.
- Support Argentina’s development in becoming a global AI hub and advocate for industry led standards, a non-further-regulation approach based on the screening of existing obligations, or risk-based approach to AI that promotes innovation.
- 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 (while avoiding overregulation and in harmonization with U.S. standards and requirements), and the removal of outdated devices from critical infrastructures to safeguard long-term technology investment in Argentina.
- Support the capacity development and implementation of agile and transparent public procurement mechanisms and security evaluations for technology and digital services.
- Encourage the harmonization of technical requirements needed for full acceptance of U.S. certification standards and bodies.
- 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 patentability of living matter.
- Defend the recognition and extension of data exclusivity protection.
- Endorse the modification of patent terms that promotes an innovative environment and considers delays that are not attributable to innovators.
- Advance the implementation of a capacity development program focused on the importance of intellectual property rights enforcement.
- Encourage the adoption of UPOV 91 standards to ensure the protection of plant varieties.