In less than a month, Argentina has applied two sets of import restrictions on footwear and other products. The most recent announcement was made on July 20 when the Argentinean government suspended a so-called "automatic licensing system" that slowed down import procedures, which can now take up one month to be processed compared with 10 days as has been the case up until now. "The new measures seek to restrict imports of Chinese footwear," Argentina's authorities said.

Another protectionist measure was implemented on June 23 when the Central Bank of Argentina began demanding instant payment on imports for 1,800 goods including footwear, textiles, electrical appliances, cars, paper, coffee and tropical fruit.

Adimar Schievelbein, international affairs consultant for the Brazilian Association of Footwear Manufacturers (Abicalçados), said that the association has a goodwill agreement with the Argentinean government to monitor Brazilian exports in 2005 so that they remain at 2004 levels, but added that this had been agreed on the premise that Argentina would not implement non-automatic import licenses as "protectionist barriers".

In the first half of 2005, Brazil exported 5.07 million pairs of shoes to Argentina, a 2.9% increase on the 4.93 million exported in 2004. However, Brazilian footwear exports to Argentina are set to fall in the next few months mainly due to the strengthening Real.