Subchapters:
- Introduction
- Addressing
- Business Meeting
- Communication
- Recommendations
- Public holidays
Introduction
Argentina is the most European of South American countries. The customs of Argentines are not very different from, for example, customs in Italy or Spain. Local people are communicative and usually very friendly.
- Beautypically: Overview of Argentina, including popular places to visit, UNESCO World Heritage List, climate, geography and travel advice.
Addressing
A classic sales channel in Argentina is the use of a local representative, specialized in the given commodity. In Argentina, there are a number of corporate institutions (chambers, associations, federations, unions) that can provide information leading to the establishment of business contacts. If you decide to contact the company or association by email, you must also call and remind yourself. Otherwise, no one would probably pay attention to the email.
Changes in the dynamics of negotiations can be surprising. There may be periods of a lot of work and periods when negotiations “fall asleep”. This happens as a result of changes in regulations and especially when a new government takes office. It does not mean that the partner does not keep his word, often the newly established conditions and laws do not allow him to continue the negotiation/business.
Business meeting
It is impolite to schedule meetings for early in the morning. The ideal time is around 10am. Outside of the capital, it is also impolite to schedule meetings between 3 and 5 p.m., as the siesta is still observed here. In the summer months (December, January, February), employees and managers usually take vacation.
It is normal to greet with a kiss, a strong handshake or a hug. Argentinians are also very grateful and tend to say thank you all the time. Trust is a basic condition for successful business. Argentinians are very interested in personal matters and family life. To get to know their new potential partner better, they can ask about their counterparts’ families.
Meetings are usually long, lasting around 2 hours. In the event that more topics need to be discussed, the meeting can be extended to lunch, which lasts another 1-2 hours (in the provinces – outside the capital – longer). Prepare for a longer social conversation before getting into business topics. It is considered impolite to start directly with business matters. Suitable topics for conversation include sports, especially football, entertainment (movies, music) and family. Family matters are suitable for breaking the ice, as they instill trust between partners. Avoid political matters, especially the Falklands/Malvinas issue. It should be remembered that every Argentine has his own strong political beliefs, so avoid such debates at all costs. In Argentina, the political differences are much deeper than we are used to from the Czech environment.
Buenos Aires is very much a European environment, even in the style of dress. As the distance from the capital increases, the demands on the “dress code” decrease. It is always good to start with a good outfit (suit). The quality of the shoes is important.
Communication
Personal action is the basis of success. Smaller details can be resolved by phone or email. By far the most used means of communication in Argentina is WhatsApp, even in a business environment. If you speak Spanish, you have a major advantage. It is always necessary to know in advance how a business partner is doing. All documents and documents of a legal nature are usually in Spanish. Avoid the Falklands/Malvinas topic completely and do not reveal your political orientation. Visit Calculatorinc for more information about Argentina culture and traditions.
Recommendation
Argentina is certainly one of the challenging countries for Czech exports, and when trying to enter it is necessary to have experience from the region. Customs and bureaucratic procedures must be taken into account, as many processes take a very long time. Political and regulatory changes also need to be kept in mind. With a new government, Argentina’s economy usually changes in a substantial way, not just cosmetic changes.
Public Holidays
Public holidays are called feriados. Some of them are fixed and some are portable. If a public holiday falls on a weekend, it will be moved to Friday or Monday of the following week. There are a number of other non-working days throughout the year.
March 24 – Day of Truth and Justice
April 2 – Malvinas War Memorial Day
May 1 – Labor Day
May 25 – Anniversary of the beginning of the emancipation process on the Spanish Empire (1810) June – Freedom Day (movable holiday)
June 20 – National Flag Day
9 July – Independence Day
17 August – Anniversary of the death of José Francisco de San Martín
12 October – Day of Intercultural Respect
25 December – Christmas
Contacts
Subchapters:
- Contacts to Czech embassies in the territory
- Practical telephone numbers (emergency services, police, firefighters, information lines, etc.)
- Important Internet links and contacts
Contacts at the embassies of the Czech Republic in the territory
Embassy of the Czech Republic with jurisdiction over Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay
Embajada de la República Checa
Junín 1461
1113 Buenos Aires, CF
phone: 0054 11 4807 3107
e-mail: buenosaires@embassy.mzv.cz
website: www.mzv.cz/buenosaires
Since January 2020, Radek Hovorka has been a member of the business council.
The best way to get from the airport to the embassy is by taxi. The journey from the airport takes about 1 hour. ZÚ is located in the center of Buenos Aires in the Recoleta district.
Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Mendoza
Consulado Honorario de la República Checa
Avenida Espaňa 1342, piso 9, oficina 20
5500 Mendoza, Argentina
phone: 0054 261 423 2148
e-mail: conschecomza@hotmail.com
The journey from the airport to the city center, where HK is also located, takes about 20 minutes.
Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peňa
Consulado Honorario de la República Checa Calle Yugoeslavia 655
3700 Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peňa, Argentina
phone: 0054 3732 425977
e-mail: fliajurasek@hotmail.com
The nearest airport is located in the capital of the province, Resistencia, at a distance of about 180 km. Again, we recommend traveling by taxi.
Practical telephone numbers (emergency services, police, firemen, information lines, etc.)
Emergency call: 911
Firefighters: 100
Police: 101
First aid: 107
Important web links and contacts
President
Alberto Fernández
Balcarce 50 C1064AAB, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
Tel.: +54-11 4344 3600
https://www.casarosada.gob.ar/
Ministry of Security
Aníbal Fernández
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/seguridad
Ministry of Tourism
Matías Lammens
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/turismo
Ministry of Transport
Alexis Guerrera
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/transporte
Ministry of Finance Martín
Maximiliano Guzmán
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/hacienda
Ministry of Culture
Tristán Bauer
https://www.cultura.gob.ar/
Ministry of Regional Development
Jorge Horacio Ferrares
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/habitat
Jorge Taiana Ministry of Defense
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/defensa
Ministry of Labor
Claudio Omar Moroni
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/trabajo
Ministry of Productive Development
Matías Sebastián Kulfas
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/produccion
Ministry of Equal Opportunities
Elizabeth Gómez Alcorta
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/generos
Ministry of Social Development e
Daniel Fernando Arroyo
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/desarrollosocial
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights
Martín Ignacio Soria
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/justicia
Ministry of Education í
Jaime Perczyk
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/educacion
Ministry of Public Works
Gabriel Nicolás Katopodis
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/obras-publicas
Ministry of Science and Technology
Roberto Salvarezza Godoy
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia
Ministry of the Interior
Eduardo de Pedro
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/interior
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religious Affairs
Santiago Cafiero
https://www.cancilleria.gob.ar
Carlo Vizzotti Ministry of Health
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/salud
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
Luis Eugenio Basterra
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/agricultura-ganaderia-y-pesca
Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development
Juan Cabandié
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ambiente
Other information source e
Agencia de Argentina de Inversiones y Comercio Internacional
BCRA – Banco Central de la República Argentina
INDEC – Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos Laws
Periodicals
Clarin
The Nation
Infobae
Chambers of Commerce
Argentine Chamber of Commerce
Union Industrial Argentina
Chamber of Importers
Foreign trade support agency C zechTrade processes Argentina from Sao Paulo, Brazil
Jan Michálek
e-mail: jan.michalek@PaulTrade.cz
T: +55 11 9 7086 7438
In April 2005, a representative office of the tourism promotion agency CzechTourism
Patricia Cmol
M. Moreno 431, piso 3 1091AAI Buenos Aires was opened in Buenos Aires
Tel.: 0054-11-57113613
E-mail: cmol@czechtourism.com
CzechTourism ‘s tourism support headquarters for Latin America is located in Mexico
Petr Lutter
Director of CzechTourism’s foreign representation for Latin America
Oficina de Turismo de la República Checa – CzechTourism Kepler 101, Col. Nueva Anzures 11590 México, DF México Tel./Fax: +52-55-55458000
Email: lutter@czechtourism.com
