Diego Ramírez is a Argentina-based lawyer practicing at Ramírez Abogados in Buenos Aires. With about 16 years of experience, Diego advises Chinese companies and investors on import-export compliance and agribusiness trade law in Argentina for Chinese importers.

Practice Focus

• ⚖️ Core work: import-export compliance and agribusiness trade law in Argentina for Chinese importers
• 🌍 Clients: Chinese outbound groups, trading companies, and investment vehicles
• 📍 Base: Buenos Aires, Argentina
• 🗣️ Languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese

Diego translates local procedure into phased options that Chinese headquarters can authorize in increments.

Credentials

How Engagements Run

Diego begins each matter with a compliance audit that maps the client's supply chain against Argentina's import/control and tariff frameworks. He reviews product classifications (NCM codes), identifies applicable import licenses or export permits, and assesses whether the goods are subject to non-automatic licensing, reference values, or statistical controls. For agribusiness clients, he also verifies SENASA (food safety) and INAL (food registration) requirements. Once the audit is complete, Diego prepares a filing roadmap that sequences customs declarations, tax payments, and regulatory submissions. He manages the Declaración Jurada Anticipada de Importación (DJAI) / Sistema de Importaciones de la República Argentina (SIRA) processes, liaises with AFIP's customs bureau, and monitors tariff schedule updates that affect the client's goods. Post-clearance, he sets up periodic compliance reporting so the client maintains clean customs records.

Working Style

Diego's approach is detail-oriented and regulatory-first. He believes that half the work is preventing customs holds before shipments arrive, so he invests significant time in upfront classification and documentation. He communicates clearly about compliance risks and tariff cost implications, and he prefers proactive alignment over reactive remediation. His clients appreciate that he monitors regulatory bulletin boards daily and alerts them to changes that affect their trade flows. Diego structures his deliverables in practical, action-oriented formats that procurement and logistics teams can execute without legal interpretation delays.

Professional Standards

Diego Ramírez does not promise outcomes or guaranteed approvals. Advice is informational and strategic.

When to Engage

• 📦 Before launching a new product line into the Argentine market or introducing new export categories
• 📋 When tariff classifications change or non-automatic licensing requirements are introduced
• ⚖️ If customs authorities issue a hold, inspection, or penalty assessment on a shipment
• 🌾 During procurement contract negotiations that involve Argentine agribusiness products
• 🧭 When the client's supply chain structure changes — new suppliers, new ports, new Incoterms

Typical Client Matters in Buenos Aires

Diego's Buenos Aires practice focuses on the intersection of Argentine trade regulation and international supply chain logistics. His typical engagements include:

• 📜 Pre-clearance classification and licensing assessment for manufactured goods, agricultural products, and industrial inputs
• 🏢 Representation before AFIP's customs bureau in tariff classification disputes and penalty proceedings
• 🔄 Compliance audits for multinational trading companies that operate through Argentine entities
• 📋 SIRA import declaration filing and monitoring for clients with recurring shipment schedules
• 🗂️ Veterinary and phytosanitary registration for food and agricultural imports through SENASA
• 🔍 Customs valuation analysis — ensuring declared values comply with WTO valuation principles

His clients include agricultural commodity traders, industrial equipment importers, consumer goods distributors, and logistics operators active in the Mercosur trade bloc.

Argentina's Import/Export Regulatory Environment

Argentina maintains a controlled trade environment that requires specialized navigation. Key elements include:

• 📦 SIRA System: All imports are subject to the SIRA (formerly SIMI/SIRASE) integrated import monitoring system, which requires pre-approval of import declarations. Diego manages the filing and tracking of SIRA applications.
• 📜 Non-Automatic Licenses: Certain product categories require prior approval from multiple government agencies. Diego identifies which licenses apply and coordinates the inter-agency submissions.
• 💼 Reference Values: AFIP publishes reference values for many imported goods. Diego advises on valuation strategies to avoid disputes.
• 🌾 Agribusiness Export Regime: Agricultural exports are subject to export duties (retenciones), registration with the Registro de Operaciones de Exportación, and specific phytosanitary controls. Diego's agribusiness focus covers grains, oilseeds, meat, and processed food products.
• 📋 Mercosur Framework: Trade within Mercosur benefits from preferential tariffs and simplified customs procedures. Diego advises clients on Mercosur rules of origin and cumulation provisions.

Sector Expertise

• 🌾 Agribusiness & Commodities: Soybean, corn, wheat, and beef trade between Argentina and international markets
• 🏭 Industrial Machinery: Capital goods import classification, licensing, and tariff optimization
• 🧪 Chemicals & Fertilizers: INAL, SENASA, and environmental agency compliance for regulated inputs
• 📦 Consumer Goods: Electro-electronics, textiles, and packaged food import procedures

Cross-Border Trade Advisory

Diego coordinates with overseas trade compliance teams to harmonize Argentine import procedures with the client's global logistics operations. He provides trade flow analysis, duty cost projections, and supply chain restructuring options that account for Argentina's tariff preferences and trade agreements within Latin America.

Customs Dispute Resolution and Penalty Defense

When customs disputes arise, Diego represents clients in proceedings before the Tribunal Fiscal de la Nación and the AFIP customs bureau. He handles penalty assessments, tariff reclassifications, valuation disputes, and allegations of inaccurate declarations. His approach prioritizes early resolution through administrative channels before escalating to formal litigation, saving clients both time and legal costs. Diego's 16 years of experience in Argentine customs procedure means he knows the evidentiary standards, filing deadlines, and advocacy strategies that produce results before the customs authorities.