Argentina boosts beef exports as nine-month revenue approaches full-year 2025 level

Argentina exported 549.6 thsd tons of chilled and frozen beef worth $3.79 bln in January–September 2026. According to the Argentine Beef Exporters Consortium (ABC), export volumes increased by 5.3% compared with the same period last year, while export revenue surged by 36.9%. As a result, beef export earnings in just nine months nearly matched the total for the entire year of 2025, mainly driven by higher global prices.

The average export price of Argentine beef reached $6,855/t in September, up 18.8% from the same month last year. After falling to $3,740/t in mid-2024, prices gradually recovered and approached $7,300/t in May 2026. However, prices declined by 3.7% in September compared with August, although they remained significantly above year-earlier levels.

China remained the largest buyer of Argentine beef, accounting for 60.8% of total export volumes during the first nine months of the year. In September, China’s share reached 68%. During the month, Argentina shipped approximately 30 thsd tons of boneless beef worth $181.1 mln to China, along with 18.8 thsd tons of bone-in beef and meat trimmings valued at $54.4 mln.

Meanwhile, shipments to the US market increased significantly. In January–September, Argentina exported 83.1 thsd tons of beef to the United States, up 186% from the same period in 2025. Growth was supported by expanded access to the US market under tariff-rate quotas, although high quota utilization could limit further increases in shipments.

In September, Argentina exported 71.9 thsd tons of beef worth $492.7 mln, down 2.7% and 6.3%, respectively, from August. However, compared with September last year, export revenue increased by 18.7%, while shipment volumes remained almost unchanged. Over the latest 12-month period, from October 2025 to September 2026, Argentine beef exports totaled 741.2 thsd tons worth $4.91 bln.

Tags: Beef cattle, Argentina