Argentina’s Trade Surplus in the First Half of 2026 Surpassed the Total for All of 2025 – Trade News | 21/06/26

Argentina recorded a trade surplus of US$2.194 billion in June 2026, nearly three times higher than the US$907 million registered in the same month of 2025, marking 31 consecutive months of positive trade balances since December 2023. According to a report by consultancy abeceb, the cumulative trade surplus for the first half of 2026 reached US$13.923 billion, already surpassing the US$11.320 billion recorded during all of 2025. Exports increased 24.5% year-on-year, driven by a 16.5% rise in prices and a 6.8% increase in export volumes, while imports grew 7.3%, with a 3.8% decline in quantities offset by an 11.6% increase in prices. The largest contribution to export growth came from soybean derivatives, which accounted for US$602 million, or 34% of the total increase in exports, followed by crude oil with US$333 million and chemical products with US$287 million. Agricultural Manufactures expanded 31.6%, supported by higher exports of fats and oils, meat, and soybean-processing products, while Industrial Manufactures rose 31.4%, led mainly by chemical products and metals. Fuel and Energy exports increased 31.3% in value, supported by a 47.8% rise in prices, while Primary Products grew 3.6%. On the import side, Fuels and Lubricants posted the largest increase, rising 126.3%, whereas imports by the automotive sector declined 14.4% year-on-year, amid weaker wholesale vehicle sales and new vehicle registrations. Looking ahead, the report expects exports to remain at record levels, supported by agriculture, energy, and mining, reaching approximately US$100 billion in 2026, while imports are expected to recover during the second half of the year. Under this scenario, abeceb projects that Argentina will end 2026 with a trade surplus of around US$21 billion, nearly double the level recorded in 2025. Link to Article