Argentina Just Told Banks How to Lend Dollars to Companies That Do Not Earn Them
Argentina's central bank published the rules for lending dollars to companies that do not earn them, capping the regime at 15% of each bank's FX deposits. The post Argentina Just Told Banks How to Lend Dollars to Companies That Do Not Earn Them appeared first on The Rio Times .
Argentina has recently revised its rules for banks lending dollars to companies that do not earn foreign currency. Decree 736/2026, published on 14 August 2026, amended the 2002 decree, which previously restricted dollar lending to companies with dollar income. The new regime caps lending at 15% of each bank's foreign-currency deposits, with banks required to hold 125% of the capital a comparable loan would demand.
The exposure counts at 1.25 times normal weighting against concentration limits. Loans must be repaid under varying exchange-rate scenarios, and funds spent in Argentina must be sold through the official exchange market. The exact lendable amount is uncertain, ranging from around US$5.2 billion to US$6 billion to US$10 billion. The rules aim to balance flexibility with prudence, as Argentina has previously experienced currency crises when companies borrowed in dollars, earned in pesos, and faced devaluation.
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