Beef, sunflower seeds and honey: Argentina’s new trade deals start to pay off
The effects are still recent, but several products posted sharp increases in overseas sales during the first months of 2026 La entrada Beef, sunflower seeds and honey: Argentina’s new trade deals start to pay off se publicó primero en Buenos Aires Herald .
Argentina's recently signed trade agreements with the United States and the European Union are beginning to yield positive results, according to a report by the think tank Fundación Mediterránea. The Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and Investment (ARTI) with the United States removes tariffs on 1,675 Argentine products, primarily from agro-industrial and manufacturing sectors.
While the ARTI deal has not formally entered into force, the U.S. has increased the import quota for Argentine beef, resulting in a significant boost in sales. In the first six months of 2026, Argentine frozen beef exports to the U.S. increased by 175%, worth an extra US$193 million, while chilled beef exports rose by 122%, or US$48 million.
The European Union's free trade agreement with Argentina, signed on January 17, 2026, has also brought positive outcomes, with several products experiencing substantial growth. Sunflower seeds, shelled eggs, sunflower oil, sawn timber, dried pulses, mollusks, honey, fruit juices, and frozen fish have all seen sharp increases in exports to the EU, with some products growing by as much as 611%.
The trade growth has been reported in July, with exports reaching a record US$8.9 billion, a 22.9% increase year-on-year. The U.S. has been the primary driver of this growth, with sales to the country increasing by 38.4% in the first seven months of 2026. The European Union, on the other hand, has seen a decline in its share of Argentina's exports, from 10.3% in 2024 to 8.9% in 2025 and 8.9% so far in 2026.
Written by urgent.news from Buenos Aires Herald's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
