Argentine Trade Exchange – January-August 2026

HIGHLIGHTS

• In the first eight months of 2026, exports totalled USD 67.2 billion, which implies a year-on-year growth of 21.4%, as a result of increases in both quantities exported and prices (10.0% and 10.4%, respectively).
• Imports totalled USD 49.0 billion and fell 2.6% year-on-year, as imported quantities decreased 9.2%, while prices increased 7.3%. This is mainly explained by the lower volume of capital goods and their parts and accessories.
• As a result, the trade balance recorded a surplus of USD 18.2 billion, when in the January-August 2025 cumulative period a positive balance of USD 5.1 billion had been reached.

• Prominent are the increases in exports of crude petroleum oil (they grew USD 2.3 billion), unwrought gold (+USD 1.1 billion), maize (+USD 874 million) and lithium carbonates (+USD 846 million); while the largest declines were seen in sales of soybeans (they dropped by USD 931 million) and vehicles for the transport of persons (-USD 171 million).
• In relation to the soybean complex, the prices of crude oil (12.0%), flour and pellets (5.5%) and beans (1.2%) increased. As for the quantities exported, those of beans (-43.0%), crude oil (‑4.6%) and flour and pellets (‑0.7%) dropped.
• Regarding imports, falls stand out in purchases of chassis, parts and tyres (-USD 937 million), telephone parts (-USD 469 million), road tractors for semi-trailers (-USD 370 million) and gas oil (-USD 327 million); while those of soybeans (+USD 906 million), smartphones (+USD 283 million), electrical energy (+USD 282 million), LNG (+USD 259 million) and immunological products (+USD 248 million) grew.

• The main destinations for exports were Brazil, with a 12.8% share, the United States (10.0%), the EU (9.3%) and China (9.2%). In turn, the most prominent origins of imports were China, which accounted for 22.9% of the total, Brazil (21.7%), the EU (13.5%) and the United States (9.2%).
• The largest surpluses were obtained in trade with Chile (USD 3.7 billion), India (USD 3.5 billion), the United States (USD 2.2 billion), Peru (USD 1.8 billion) and Vietnam (USD 1.8 billion); while the main deficits were recorded with China (USD 5.1 billion), Paraguay (USD 2.1 billion) and Brazil (USD 2.1 billion).