In brief
On 22 July 2026, Resolution No. 166/2026 (the “Resolution”) issued by the Secretariat of Energy was published in the Official Gazette. Under the Resolution, the Export Operations Registry was created and a new unified procedure for the export of liquid hydrocarbons and their derivatives was approved (the “Procedure”).
The measure seeks to consolidate the framework governing exports of crude oil and petroleum products, which were previously regulated under different rules, and to simplify export operations. It establishes an export registry and implements a notification-based export system, whereby exports will be authorized unless the enforcement authority raises an objection on limited grounds within short review periods: 30 business days for crude oil, gasoline and diesel fuel, and seven business days for propane, butane and LPG.
In focus
The key aspects of the Procedure are as follows:
- Scope of Application: The Procedure applies to individuals and legal entities engaged in the production, processing, refining, marketing, storage, or bottling/packaging of the products covered by the regulation, including crude oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, propane, butane, and LPG.
- Filing Process: Exports must be notified to the Undersecretariat of Hydrocarbons through the TAD (Remote Procedures) platform.
- Long-Term Exports: Exports with a term exceeding 12 consecutive months. Exporters must submit the relevant commercial agreements and supporting documentation evidencing the availability of production, reserves, or supply arrangements, depending on the product involved.
- Transportation and Infrastructure: Exporters must demonstrate transportation capacity and, where applicable, the technical and financial feasibility of the associated infrastructure, unless such information has already been submitted under the RIGI regime.
- Grounds for Objection: The Undersecretariat of Hydrocarbons may object to an export only on specific grounds related to domestic supply, available capacity, competition, or pricing.
- Maximum Review Periods for Objections: 30 business days for crude oil, gasoline, and diesel fuel exports, and seven business days for propane, butane, and LPG exports.
- Free Export Certificate: If no objections are raised, a Free Export Certificate will be issued. Administrative silence will have positive effect and will be deemed approval.
- Effects: The Free Export Certificate grants stability to the export operation. It may be revoked in the event of non-compliance or the submission of false information and may be assigned subject to prior authorization.
- Exporter Obligations: Holders of a Free Export Certificate must report any material changes to the information provided in the original notification. In addition, for Long-Term Exports with a term exceeding 60 months, exporters must demonstrate every three years the continued availability of the committed volumes.
- Transitional Regime: Export authorizations granted and/or applications filed under Resolutions No. 241/17 and No. 175/23, prior to the entry into force of the Resolution, will continue to be governed by the terms and conditions in effect at the time of their issuance or filing.
Delfina Ferrario and Franco Sinagra, Associates, have contributed to this legal update.
Download the Spanish version of Argentina: Unification and Simplification of the Export’s Regime for Crude Oil and By-Products.