ARGENTINA
November 18, 2025
Last Thursday, November 13, 2025, the governments of Argentina and the United States released a joint statement to announce the framework for a bilateral trade agreement that will set tariff reductions and reciprocal market access for a range of products considered essential for both countries.
Besides this, as a core aspect, this agreement involves the improvement of Intellectual Property protection in Argentina.
In this sense, Argentina has committed to align its legislation with international intellectual property standards, which involves:
- Revision and flexibilization of the patentability criteria set by the Joint Ministerial Resolutions 118/2012, 546/2012, and 107/2012, which restrict the protection for chemical and pharmaceutical inventions compared to inventions in other technical areas;
- Reduction in the backlog of patent applications prosecuted by INPI (National Institute of Intellectual Property) and improvement in the quality of its examinations;
- Enhanced protection and enforcement of anti-piracy and counterfeiting regulations, strengthening control measures in both physical and digital environments;
- Adoption of relevant measures for the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, acceptance of FDA certifications and prior US approvals, which would expedite the regulatory authorization processes;
- It is also expected an improvement in the protection of clinical trial data.
The announcement does not mention the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT); however, through this agreement Argentina committed to harmonize its regulations with international standards and to address structural challenges cited in the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s 2025 Special 301 report, which could also pave the way for Argentina's accession to the PCT.