customs and duties

[kevin10]

im about to ship all of my belongings to Argentina...i have heard that you pay taxes on electrical goods but would you have to pay taxes on other personal items books,furniture ,say musical instruments,bycicles etc etc?

 

[steveinbsas]

This link should help:

http://www.exportainer.com/import_requeriments_en.htm

 

[wphowell]

Are you a permanent resident? If not, you are in for an interesting time to say the least. It took me 4 days from 10am until 4pm each day to clear my goods.

 

[jimdepalermo]

I don't recommend you try this yourself unless you're totally confident in your castellano, know the ways of Argentine bureaucracies, have endless patience, and are prepared to pay steep customs duties and/or negotiate insurance bonds to guarantee the duties.

If you don't have legal resident status, everything you bring is subject to import duties. If you do have a resident's visa, you'll need to post a bond to guarantee the unpaid duties until such time as you obtain a PERMANENT resident's visa, typically 3 or more years after your arrive. The bond will cost you 5% of the value of your goods, as determined by Customs here, and it will have to be renewed and repaid each year.

For some details, see the thread Movers/Freight Companies in the Apartment Rentals and Roommates forum.

 

[jurarol]

oh good luck! we moved to Buenos Aires a year ago,and we shiped 20 boxes with just photo albums,some books,clothes and other personal sentimental used items.Argentina would not get the fact that we are moving and these are used personal items! And to make it worse,since my husband is Argentinian(he is american too),he is required to pay import taxes.So we spent like tree days walking door to door,paying at every office they sent us to,plus charging us for storage...So when my husband went to pick up the boxes,the guy at the office said,that we have to pay about $2000,but first they have to check every box to see whats in it.My husband said go ahead check it,we have no electronics,it's all personal stuff.He basicaly was making it clear to give him some $$$ in his hand.So my husband gave up and gave the guy $500 in his hand,and he was home that evening with the boxes...Corruption wins,don't even try to fight it.Best of luck to you

 

[drbonafina]

I'm in the same boat as kevin10. I called the Argentina Consulate in LA numerous times but, for a change, they never answer the phone or returned my voicemails.
Is the information described in http://www.exportainer.com/import_requeriments_en.htm
reliable?

 

[steveinbsas]

I'm in the same boat as kevin10. I called the Argentina Consulate in LA numerous times but, for a change, they never answer the phone or returned my voicemails.
Is the information described in http://www.exportainer.com/import_requeriments_en.htm
reliable?

I think it is..and even more detailed than the site that I quoted when sleuth was asking about importing a vehicle.

http://www.gemrelocations.com/shippingtoargentina.html