New Footwear Labeling Rules Proposed for Argentine Market

Argentina has circulated a draft resolution – “Labelling requirements applicable to all types of new footwear” – that will cover all types of footwear offered onto the Argentine Republic’s market. The draft resolution was issued by the Argentina Secretariat of Trade (Secretaría de Comercio) in August 2018, notifying the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The new Technical Requirements are intended to help prevent practices that may mislead or deceive consumers. Under the new legislation, producers, manufacturers and importers of footwear must ensure the information indicated on the label is correct and complies with the requirements of the resolution.

These include:
• Information must be contained in one or more labels
• Must use the national language, additional languages are permissible
• Lettering must be no less than 1 millimeter in height
• Labels must visible, indelible and easy to access
• Information should be printed, marked, stitched, stamped, pasted or linked to the product on at least one item of a pair
• Size must be indicated on both items
• Labels are required to be permanent only until the product is acquired by the final consumer

The draft technical resolution requires the following information for labels:
• Name or business name and Unique Tax Identification Code (C.U.I.T.) of the national manufacturer or importer
o The name or business name of national manufacturer or importer may be replaced by the registered Trademark
• Brand and Model or Article identification
• Country of Origin
• Composition of the following footwear component parts: (1) Upper (“Capellada”) (2) Lining (“Forro”) and (3) Outer sole (“Fondo”, “Base” or “Planta”)
• Footwear Size (Foot length according to the European system)

Stakeholders should be aware the composition of footwear component parts need to be identified according to the following general criteria:
• By the predominant material of each component part of the footwear constituting at least 80% of the total surface area. If no single material accounts for at least 80%, information must be given on the two main materials of each component part of the footwear item
• If more than 50% of the inner surface of the footwear item has no lining, then the label should include the phrase “WITHOUT LINING” (“SIN FORRAR”), instead of the composition of the lining
• If the constituent material is leather, the word “LEATHER” (“CUERO”) must be indicated, adding the corresponding class or species
• For bovine leather, additionally it must be indicated if the material is Top Grain Leather (“cuero flor”) or Suede (“cuero descarne”)
• For leather that has been stamped, embossed, dyed or processed to simulate the appearance of another species or class of leather, the actual material must be indicated
• If the material used is obtained from an agglomeration of leather fibers, shall be indicated as “LEATHER AGGLOMERATE” (“AGLOMERADO DE CUERO”)
• If the constituent material is textile, the word “TEXTIL” must be indicated.
• If the constituent material is synthetic, the word “SYNTHETIC” (“SINTÉTICO“) must be indicated. It is optional to add the type of material
• If the constituent material is rubber, either vulcanized, synthetic or natural, the word “RUBBER” (“CAUCHO“) must be indicated
• If one or more parts are made with material other than above mentioned, the generic name of that material (e.g. wood, metal, cork) must be indicated

The draft resolution was circulated to the WTO in August 2018. It will become effective 180 days after it is published in the Official Gazette.

When the new legislation comes into force, it will repeal:
• Resolution No. 508/1999 of the former Secretariat of Industry, Trade and Mining and any related resolutions
• Resolution No. 44/20013 of the former Secretariat of Competition, Deregulation and Consumer Protection

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This release was published on openPR.