Argentina is negotiating agricultural incentives with the US

Miley confirmed that Argentina will quadruple its beef export quota. Foreign Minister Kirno will travel to Washington next week to expedite the agreement.

Focusing on economic recovery and achieving “annual growth of 7-10%,” as Javier Miley expected, the government will attempt to finalize the details and conclude a trade agreement with the United States in the coming days as part of the strategic alliance forged by both administrations.

Negotiations began in April, when Donald Trump imposed high tariffs on imports from virtually every country, sparking a trade war, primarily with China, which is now experiencing a truce. At the time, Argentina, like other countries, was subject to tariffs that increased the cost of any goods imported into the United States by 10%.

Negotiations have weathered legislative elections and administrative paralysis in the US, but have yielded no progress. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno will now travel to Washington again next week to try to bridge the gap and ensure the agreement’s full entry into force in 2026.

While the negotiations cover substantial tariff reductions on 50 products, which would benefit Argentina, the section on patents and trademarks poses the greatest challenge due to US demands.

The government has taken steps to respect copyrights for innovations in healthcare and agriculture (such as drugs and seeds), as well as to combat trademark counterfeiting, which the US identified in a March report as an obstacle to bilateral trade.

At the other end of the spectrum, the most advanced area is expanding Argentine beef supplies. During his recent visit to Miami, Miley confirmed that Argentina’s export quota to the US, initially with zero duties and currently at 10% (currently 20,000 tons), will quadruple after the agreement is signed.

“I would like to thank President Donald Trump and his entire administration for reaching an agreement on an Argentine beef quota that is four times larger than the previous one,” Miley said during a speech at the American Business Forum.

Argentina has an annual import quota from the US of 20,000 tons of boneless, fresh, chilled, or frozen meat, subject to a 10% duty.

All meat imported above this quota is taxed at a rate of 26.4%. In 2024, the country exported 33,697.8 tons of meat, valued at $188.43 million.

In Miami, Miley also stated that the bilateral trade agreement is an unresolved issue for which “Argentina and the United States have owed each other for many years. Both countries are working to resolve it.”

Another sector involved in the negotiations is steel and aluminum—products on which the US has been subject to a 50 percent tariff since the beginning of the year. The Argentine government is seeking to eliminate or at least significantly reduce this tariff.

Last month, the Miley administration waived export duties paid by this industrial sector to countries imposing tariffs exceeding 45 percent until December 31 or until the destination countries eliminate these duties.

Tags: USA, Argentina, duties