By virtue of Resolution No. 56/2026, published in the Official Gazette on March 9, 2026, the Secretariat of Industry and Commerce, under the Ministry of Economy approved a “Market Surveillance Protocol” (the “Protocol”) intended to strengthen control and enforcement actions over products marketed and measuring instruments used within the territory of the Argentine Republic.
The measure is framed within the powers granted by Consumer Protection Law No. 24,240, Legal Metrology Law No. 19,511, and Decree No. 274/2019 on Commercial Fairness, and aims to ensure that products subject to technical regulations comply with the quality, safety, and accuracy standards required under the applicable regulatory framework.
The Protocol establishes uniform guidelines for market surveillance activities, which may include documentary verifications, on-site inspections, sampling and laboratory testing of products, as well as border controls on goods based on their level of risk or previous records of non-compliance.
The Resolution also provides that the costs associated with sampling and testing procedures will initially be borne by the Secretariat of Industry and Commerce, although they must be reimbursed by the regulated party if the product is found to be non-compliant with the applicable regulations. In addition, the procedures will be processed through the Trámites a Distancia (TAD) digital platform, and the competent subsecretariats are entrusted with carrying out control actions and enforcing the corresponding sanctions.
