Can anyone recommend a clearing agent in Buenos Aires, Argentina to help clear bikes shipped by sea freight?

This is the clearing process, once you have an agent, kindly provided by Gonzalo
Argentine:

Make sure to ask your agents to SPECIFY costs UPON ARRIVAL, ask them to specify cost of the following:

(1) "Documentacion"
(2) "Ingreso al S.I.M"
(3) "Movimientos"

If your bikes are arriving by SEA the first thing you will have to do is go do some paperwork at ESTACION MARITIMA BUENOS AIRES (this is the Buenos Aires Port Authority). However you will not be collecting your bike here since it will have been moved to a government warehouse. So, at the Estacion Maritima Buenos Aires contact Mrs. Viviana Palacin (the boss) Tel. (+541) 4311-0692 or 4314-1603. The address is: Terminal 3, Darsena B, streets Ramon Castillo and Avenida Inmigrantes. This is near the Retiro train station, right downtown. The documents you need here are:

(1) Passport
(2) Vehicle Registration
(3) Bill of Lading and
(4) S.I.M number: this is an entry number used in international shipping and which your agent will provide.

At the port they will give you a piece of paper called "Solicitud de Retiro de Equipaje No Acompanado". You don´t pay anything here. They will than tell you which warehouse your bike has been moved to. The next step is to go to the warehouse and pick up the bike. You will have to pay a document fee, storage fee and a bunch of other processing fees. These can be HIGH! So make sure you clear things up with your agent beforehand. You can be looking into 200-300 USD for which you will receive a receipt. VERY IMPORTANT: they (the warehouse) will also ask you for a "Libre Deuda" from your shipper. This is a piece of paper/receipt saying you don´t owe them (your shipping agent) any money. If you do not have this, they will not give you your bike. Finally, some customs agents will verify that frame/engine numbers correspond as on the paperwork. This is called "Verificacion" (Costs 60 USD, to check your serial numbers!). You will be issued a document called, "Admision Temporaria Vehiculos de Turistas" which is what allows you to drive around the country with a foreign reg. vehicle.

Summing up: freight in itself to Argentina can be cheap. However, you will not get around local Argentine processing costs, which you must add to your shipping budget. Some you will pay to your agent, the rest at the government warehouse. Although you will receive specified receipts for all, these costs are nevertheless high. In addition to freight costs, you must expect at least an additional 200 to 300 USD in Buenos Aires once the bike has arrived. You should allow at least one day (prefarably 2) to get your bike out. Total places to visit and I recommend you do it in this order are: (1) YOUR SHIPPING AGENT in Buenos Aires -get S.I.M number and pay local agent fees (2) ESTACION MARITIMA BUENOS AIRES (port) -fill out paperwork, no fees (3) GOVERNMENT WAREHOUSE (privately run) -pay customs and storage, fill out paperwork.

Sounds complicated but within 48 hrs. You´ll be on your way.

I have the full process, I just need to find an agent, as the port, I am told, will not deal with people directly. I Know I could find one on arrival, but I figure it would be good to have it all sorted before hand.

Hi Ian
I do this a couple of times. Yes the port don’t deal with l people directly. But what you need is ask to the shipping company who are sending your bike which is the contact company here in Buenos Aires. This company will manage all about take out the bike from the port and take it to a warehouse.
You will pay the charge to handling and stuff about take out the bike from the ship to this company. This is the “LIBRE DEUDA”.
Then you go to EMBA (estación marítima buenos aires) and there you ask the temporary importation. The company should send all the information about the bike arriving and pays by computer so EMBA can make the import .Then with this you has to go to the warehouse to fill others forms (Custom check frame numbers etc) and pay at the warehouse for handling and storage etc. Custom papers are free you don’t has to pay anything to Custom. What you pay is the warehouse charge.
How much could be ? It depends the company and the warehouse. You also can have an agent (sure the company will offer you that) but some times are not so honest and you finish paying things than you don’t have to.
If you speak something of Spanish and you are lucky you can do everything in 1 day or 1and a half .
Don’t forget to tell that is luggage not accompany (bike and things for camping)
Hope be useful
Sandra Kaper
www.dakarmotos.com

Sorry IAIN I make a mistake with your name

Sandra,

Thanks for the information, I really appriciate the reply.

Cheers,

Iain.