Argentina

Official Name	-	Argentine Republic
Capital City	-	Buenos Aires
Type of Government	-	Democratic Federal Republic
Currency	-	Peso (ARS); 1 Argentine peso = 100 centavos
Fiscal Year	-	Calendar year
Official Language(s)	-	Spanish
Local Time	-	GMT -03:00
International Dialling Code	-	+54
Internet Domain	-	.ar
Major Cities	-	Cordoba, Rosario, Mendoza, Santa Fe, Mar del Plata, La Plata, Tucuman, Salta and Bahia Blanca
Major Industries	-	Food Processing, Motor Vehicles, Consumer Durables, Textiles, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Printing, Metallurgy, Steel and Agribusiness.
Major Trading Partners	-	Brazil, the United States and Chile.
Free Trade Zone	-	La Plata port (goods shipped to Tierra del Fuego for local consumption are exempted from customs duties and surcharges)
Double Taxation Treaty with India	-	NO

Economic Overview

• Export-oriented agricultural sector.
• Diversified industrial base.
• Grains and livestock are the basis of the nation's wealth.
• Domestic oil and gas production makes the nation self-sufficient in energy.
• Food processing (meat packing, flour milling, canning) is the principal industry; leather goods and textiles are also important.
• Between 1998 and 2002, suffered from inflation, external debt, capital flight and budget deficits.
• The economy recovered with output up 8% in 2003.
• By 2003 year-end, the inflation reduced to under 4% and unemployment started decreasing.

Contacts of Trade Ministries/ Associations

Argentine Chamber of Commerce	Association of Argentine Importers and Exporters	Argentine Chamber of Exporters (CERA)
Av. Leandro N. Alem 36 - C1003AAN Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel.: +(54)-(11)-53009000 Fax: +(54)-(11)-53009058 Website: www.cac.com.ar	Av. Manuel Belgrano 124 - C1092AAO Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel: +(54)-(11)-43420010 Fax: +(54)-(11)-43421312 E-mail: aiera@aiera.org.ar Website: www.aiera.org/home.htm	Tel./Fax: +(54)-(11)-43944482 E-mail: contacto@cera.org.ar

Business Visa Rules
Business Visa is allowed for the following purpose and is usually valit for 90 days which may be extended:

• Attend any business meetings or discussions.
• Attend sales calls to potential client over there provided that the employee represents a commercial entity outside of Argentina.
• Attend seminars or some "fact-finding" meetings.

The basic requirements of obtaining business visa are as follows:

• The applicant must have a residence, and an employer or business outside Argentina and must be visiting Argentina for a limited and pre-set time period.
• The applicant must not receive compensation from sources within Argentina (unless for "per-diem" expenses, such as meals or car fare).
• The applicant must show proof of sufficient funds (such as cash or credit cards) along with a confirmed, round-trip airline ticket.
• The applicant must show evidence that health/medical insurance will be provided by the employee's home company.

Business Hours
Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (two hours early for factories) with one-hour lunch break.