An Argentine exporter receives US dollars from overseas buyers through an Argentine bank, because export proceeds fall under the Banco Central de la República Argentina's (BCRA) Exterior y Cambios rules. The proceeds must be brought into Argentina and settled in the official foreign exchange market within the deadline that applies, unless an exception lets the exporter keep them in a USD account at a local bank.
Within that framework the exporter has real choices: how the buyer pays, which instrument protects the sale, which currency the invoice uses and how the receivable is financed. The rules have also moved in exporters' favour. The dólar blend scheme, under which part of export proceeds was settled at a different rate, ended in April 2025, and in 2026 the BCRA has extended settlement periods for some goods and widened the exceptions.
| Method | Best for | Main advantage |
|---|---|---|
| International wire to an Argentine USD account | Large B2B invoices | Familiar to corporate buyers and local banks |
| Local USD receiving details through an international account | Repeat US buyers, where eligible | Easier payment for the buyer |
| Export collection through a local bank | Goods exporters wanting bank-led trade support | The bank handles documents and collection |
| Documentary collection | Established buyers where documents matter | Documents released against payment or acceptance |
| Letter of credit | Large or higher-risk export sales | Bank payment undertaking against compliant documents |
| SML | Buyers in Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay | Collected in local currencies without a US dollar leg |
| Receivables or export finance | Exporters offering payment terms | Brings cash forward |
Points to weigh:
The BCRA's rules as they stand in October 2026, after Comunicación A 8481 of 14 September 2026 updated the consolidated text:
| Rule | Position |
|---|---|
| Goods export proceeds | Brought in and settled in the FX market within the deadline set for the product in section 7 |
| Some goods to unrelated buyers | 365 calendar days to settle, for NCM chapters 42, 61, 62, 64 and 65 and item 8401.40.00 (A 8417) |
| Goods to a buyer the exporter controls | The specific deadline for these exports applies, for exports registered from 1 January 2026, only where prior-year goods exports did not exceed USD 200 million (A 8417) |
| Service export proceeds | Settled within 20 business days of receipt abroad or in Argentina (point 2.2.1) |
| Proceeds held in a local USD account | Need not be settled if applied, within the deadline, to payments with FX market access and the use is tax-neutral (point 2.7) |
| Proceeds used for export promissory notes | Exempt if credited to a local USD account and used within 72 business hours to repay qualifying foreign-currency notes (A 8441) |
The exporter's bank tracks each shipment against its receipts in the BCRA's export follow-up system. Confirm the deadline for each product and any exception you intend to use with the bank's foreign trade desk before the goods ship.
Two groups have wider exceptions. Individuals who export services, and since Comunicación A 8417 individuals exporting goods in their own name, are exempt from settlement when they bring the funds in within the deadline to a foreign-currency account at a local bank and the use is tax-neutral. The exemption does not cover exports made by individuals on behalf of companies.
Companies in the knowledge economy regime (software, professional and technology services that meet the regime's conditions) may keep part of their service export proceeds unsettled, within a limit linked to the year-on-year increase in their exports and with a certification and a sworn statement. For incorporated goods exporters, the general rule and the point 2.7 exception apply.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Before shipment | Agree the instrument and payment instructions; register the shipping permit |
| Shipment | The bank starts tracking the shipping permit against receipts |
| Buyer pays | Funds arrive at the exporter's USD account at an Argentine bank, through the bank's correspondent |
| Within the deadline | The exporter settles into pesos, or applies the funds under point 2.7 or A 8441 |
| After settlement | The bank closes the shipping permit against the receipt in the export follow-up system |
Planning the steps before the goods leave avoids the most common delays: a receipt that cannot be matched to its permit, or a deadline that passes while documents are gathered.
Payment speed starts with the buyer's experience. Give clear, consistent instructions on every invoice: the exporter's exact legal name, the Argentine bank, the USD account, the SWIFT code and the correspondent bank the Argentine bank uses for US dollars.
Santander Argentina, for example, publishes instructions for receiving US dollars through three New York correspondents and euros through three European correspondents, with named correspondents for sterling, Swiss francs, Canadian dollars, yen, Scandinavian currencies and offshore yuan. Ask your bank for its current instructions and send them to buyers in writing at the start of the relationship.
For invoices of USD 250,000 or USD 1 million, a SWIFT wire to the exporter's USD account at an Argentine bank remains the standard route. Correspondent banks can deduct fees on the way, so agree in the contract that the buyer pays its own and intermediary charges, and ask for the invoice number in the payment reference.
A USD 50,000 invoice that arrives USD 60 short leaves an open balance on both ledgers and slows the export file at the bank. Small, consistent details prevent most investigations.
BBVA, ICBC, Santander and Banco Nación all handle export collections and export letters of credit. BBVA describes export letters of credit with set payment timelines that can also be used for financing; ICBC's Multipay Comercio Exterior handles collections, letters of credit and finance online, with SWIFT messages and shipping permits visible in one place.
| Situation | Suitable instrument |
|---|---|
| Repeat buyer with a strong record | Wire on agreed terms |
| Established buyer, documents must control release of goods | Documentary collection |
| New buyer or large order | Export letter of credit |
| Buyer in Brazil, Paraguay or Uruguay | SML or wire |
Most Argentine exports are invoiced in US dollars, which matches the settlement rules and buyers' expectations in commodity and industrial markets. Invoicing in a buyer's own currency, such as euros or reais, can win sales, but adds a conversion and the exporter needs to know who converts and at what rate.
For trade with Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, the Local Currency Payment System (SML) lets the buyer pay in its own currency while the exporter collects in pesos, without a US dollar leg.
A faster rail does not change the due date. An exporter selling on 60-day terms waits 60 days whatever the route. To bring cash forward, use deposits, shorter terms, early-payment discounts or finance.
The guide to trade credit for importers and exporters explains how each facility works.
The bank needs to match each receipt to its export. Having the pack ready means the receipt is applied without delay and the settlement deadline is met.
An exporter that depends on one bank depends on one foreign trade desk and one set of correspondents. Once volumes are material, a second Argentine bank gives a backup route, a price comparison on settlement and resilience if a correspondent delays payments.
Give each route a defined role, such as main bank for collections and settlement, second bank for one corridor or for finance, and reconcile both monthly. Our comparison of business bank accounts in Argentina sets out the banks.
| Test | What to check |
|---|---|
| Regulatory handling | How the bank applies the deadline and the point 2.7 and A 8441 exceptions |
| Settlement rate | The rate and commission on settlement, compared on the same day |
| Correspondents | Which correspondent banks receive USD and other currencies |
| Trade instruments | Export collections, letters of credit and pre-finance |
| Digital tools | Online tracking of receipts, SWIFT messages and shipping permits |
| Support | A named contact on the foreign trade desk |
Our guide to USD business accounts for international businesses covers the international side, and the comparison of cross-border payment providers for Argentine businesses covers the wider market.
| Buyer | Suggested route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat US buyer | Wire to the Argentine USD account | Familiar to the buyer and handled by the local bank |
| New buyer, large order | Export letter of credit | Bank undertaking against shipping documents |
| Established buyer, documents matter | Documentary collection | Goods released against payment or acceptance |
| Buyer in Brazil, Paraguay or Uruguay | SML or wire | Local currencies without a US dollar leg |
| Buyer on 60 or 90-day terms | Wire plus export pre-finance | Cash brought forward while terms stay competitive |
Because companies need prior BCRA approval to buy foreign currency to hold abroad, export dollars are valuable once received. The point 2.7 exception lets an exporter keep them in its local USD account and use them directly for payments that have FX market access, such as imported inputs or foreign debt service, instead of settling into pesos and buying dollars back later.
Helm, the firm's own business account and payments platform, gives exporters collection accounts in their buyers' currencies, conversion through licensed providers and the invoice and shipping documents attached to each receipt, with balances held by licensed partners. For Argentine exporters it works beside the local bank, because goods export proceeds must be brought into Argentina and settled, or held in a local USD account under a BCRA exception.
It suits exporters selling regularly into several countries who want one view of buyers, receipts and documents. The firm's trade payments service sets up the collection corridors.
Yes, through an Argentine bank. Goods export proceeds must be brought into Argentina and settled in the FX market within the product's deadline, or held in a local USD account under a BCRA exception.
Not always. Under point 2.7, proceeds kept in a local USD account need not be settled if applied within the deadline to payments with FX market access, and A 8441 adds an exception for repaying export promissory notes.
Services within 20 business days of receipt. For goods the deadline depends on the product; some goods sold to unrelated buyers have 365 days under Comunicación A 8417.
An international account does not remove the obligation to bring goods export proceeds into Argentina, so check any structure against the BCRA rules with your bank first.
No. The scheme under which part of export proceeds was settled at a different rate ended in April 2025.
They do different jobs: a wire moves money, while a letter of credit adds a bank payment undertaking against compliant documents, which suits new buyers and large orders.
Make payment easy for the buyer, issue accurate invoices, agree instructions early and prepare the document pack. To shorten the wait on credit terms, use deposits, discounts or export finance.
Buckingham Capital Consulting arranges USD collection accounts, foreign exchange and export payment routes for Argentine and Latin American exporters through licensed partners, and has obtained payment and e-money licences for firms including Nexpay, Global Send and Dzing Finance since 2013. Its trade payments service builds each exporter's collection structure around the BCRA settlement rules.
Speak to an expert: WhatsApp +44 7563 115980, Telegram @buckinghamcapital or info@buckinghamcapitalconsulting.co.uk.
This article is general information, reviewed against the regulator’s published requirements on the date shown. It is not legal advice; the regulator’s current publications take precedence.