Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 411/2

4 January 2011

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 8/2011

Argentina : Certification Requirements for Paints, Lacquers, Varnishes and Printed Products

The Argentine Government has recently issued a Resolution (No. 453/2010) to establish certification requirements for (i) certain paints, lacquers and varnishes (PLV) used in the graphics industry to ensure compliance of the lead content limit of 0.06% by weight of the total non-volatile content of the product; and (ii) certain printed products to ensure that they do not exceed the stipulated migration limits of heavy metals. The certification requirements will become effective 180 days from the publication date of the name of at least one laboratory authorised by the Argentine Government to perform the aforementioned certification requirements. The Resolution is available at http://infoleg.mecon.gov.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/175000-179999/175709/norma.htm.

DETAILS

2.The trade was informed via Commercial Information Circular No. 324/2009 that Argentina required the imports of PLV to comply with a lead content limit of 0.06% by weight of the total non-volatile content of the product on or about 24 August 2009. The Argentine Government has recently required that the PLV used in the graphics industry to be certified by the certification body accredited by the Argentine National Institute of Industrial Technology (Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Industrial / INTI) for the compliance of the lead content limit. The certificate shall be issued based on the testing performed by the accredited laboratory in accordance with either "System No. 4" or "System No. 5" Certification System set forth in the Argentine Resolution No. 197/2004 which is available at http://infoleg.mecon.gov.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/100000-104999/102759/norma.htm.

3.In addition, the Argentine Government requires that the printed products listed in the Annex I of the Resolution No. 453/2010 to be certified by the INTI-accredited certification body for the compliance of the migration limits of heavy metals set forth in IRAM NM 300-3; EN 71-3 or ISO 8124-3. The certificate shall be issued based on the testing performed by the accredited laboratory in accordance with "System No. 7" set forth in the Argentine Resolution No. 197/2004.

4.For details of the certification requirements, traders are advised to consult their importers in Argentina and/or make reference to the above Argentine Resolutions (in Spanish).

ENQUIRIES

5.For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact Miss S Y TANG at telephone number 2398 5405.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Bonny CHAO)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry