英语论文网

and (f) private entities with tax benefits. As of December 2011, the Draft Law was still pending in the Argentine Lower House.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS PROTECTION

Argentina continued to be listed on the Priority Watch List in the 2011 Special 301 report. Recently, the Argentina has taken a number of positive and encouraging steps on intellectual property rights (IPR) protection. Argentina has taken steps to address its patent backlog, but it still does not provide adequate protection against unfair commercial use and unauthorized disclosure of undisclosed test and other data generated to obtain marketing approval for pharmaceutical products.

SERVICES BARRIERS

Audiovisual Services

U.S. industry remains concerned with the added costs associated with exporting movies to Argentina due to measures governing the showing, printing, and dubbing of films. Beginning on August 30, 2011, under Resolution 2114/2011, the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts is authorized to tax foreign films screened in local movie theaters. In October 2009, the Argentine Congress passed Law 26.522 regulating audiovisual communication services

Law 26.522 would limit foreign ownership of media outlets to 30 percent, require minimum national content of 60 percent to 70 percent, require that all signals owned wholly or partially by the national government be included, set a minimum screen quota for Argentine movies, and require a fee on foreign programmers in the amount of 0.5 percent of annual revenue for acquiring Argentine films.

Insurance Services

Beginning on September 1, 2011, local insurers may only contract reinsurance from locally based reinsurers On October 27, 2011, the Argentine insurance regulator issued Resolution 36.162 requiring that “all investments and cash equivalents held by locally registered insurance companies be located in Argentina.” Nevertheless, foreign insurance firms have reported pressure by the Argentine government to sell their dollars for pesos. Many of these companies have liabilities denominated in dollars, making this foreign exchange requirement difficult to meet.

INVESTMENT BARRIERS

Pension System3

The Argentine parliament approved a bill to nationalize Argentina’s private pension system and transfer pensioner assets to the government social security agency in November 2008.

Foreign Exchange and Capital Controls

In November 2011, Argentina eliminated the exceptions previously granted to hydrocarbon and mining exporters Revenues from exporting to Argentine foreign trade zones and from re-exporting some temporary imports are still exempted from this requirement. Time limits on fulfilling the obligation to convert to pesos range from approximately 60 days to 360 days for goods (depending on the goods involved) and 15 days for services. A portion of foreign currency earned through exports may be used for foreign transactions. In May 2005, the government issued Presidential Decree 616 revising registration requirements for inflows and outflows of capital and extending the minimum investment time period from 180 days to 365 days.

Non-Payment of Investment Treaty Awards

Nine U.S. firms have pending cases against the government of Argentina in investor-state arbitration under the United States-Argentina B