The government of President Javier Milei garnered renewed backing from the United States at the end of April, attributed to an enhancement in Argentina’s intellectual property ratings. In a recent acknowledgment of the strengthening relationship between Washington and Buenos Aires, the Office of the United States Trade Representative elevated Argentina’s rating in its annual assessment of the global landscape concerning the protection and respect for intellectual property rights. It marked the inaugural enhancement to Argentina’s listing in thirty years.
In Special Report 301, released by the USTR and led by Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Argentina under Milei has been removed from the “List of Priority Vigilance” and placed on the “List of Vigilance,” attributed to “its efforts to tackle significant concerns” in that regard. Since 1996, Argentina has been included on the list of countries exhibiting significant shortcomings in the safeguarding of or adherence to intellectual property rights. The report highlights that in February, the United States and Argentina entered into the Reciprocal Agreement on Trade and Investment, in which the Javier Milei administration committed to enhancing protections for US innovators and creators by strengthening intellectual property rights and prioritizing legal action against intellectual property piracy.
The report indicates that “this includes advancing in the adherence to several key international agreements respecting intellectual property and adopting measures to resolve numerous long-term problems of intellectual property identified in Special Report 301.” According to the report, “Argentina has also committed itself to applying rigorous standards of transparency and equity respecting the protection of geographical indications while guaranteeing that US products may continue using terms which have been unfairly protected as geographical indications.”