Transportation Costs Rise 30.3% in the First Nine Months of 2026 – Trade News | 05/10/26

Freight transportation costs in Argentina increased 2.55% in September and accumulated a 30.3% rise during the first nine months of 2026, according to the Transportation Cost Index (ICT) prepared by the Argentine Federation of Freight Transportation Business Entities (FADEEAC), exceeding the 26.4% recorded during the same period in 2025, while the increase over the past twelve months reached 41%. September’s variation showed an acceleration compared with previous months and was driven, among other factors, by fuel, which rose 2.87%, amid the readjustment of the “buffer” scheme that had kept the reference price of diesel frozen since April; during the first nine months of the year, this input accumulated an increase of 38%. Among the 11 categories included in the index, the largest monthly increases were recorded in General Expenses, up 5.05%, and Tolls, up 5%, followed by Tires at 3.08%, Financial Costs at 2.59%, and Personnel-Drivers at 2.49%, the latter following the implementation of the first installment of Collective Bargaining Agreement 40/89, which provides for monthly labor cost adjustments through February 2027. Repairs increased 0.76%, Insurance 0.42%, and Rolling Stock 0.22%, while Lubricants and Licenses and Taxes remained unchanged. FADEEAC also warned of a challenging environment for the sector, characterized by higher toll costs, deteriorating road conditions and weaker momentum in the real economy, with a significant disparity between sectors such as agriculture, energy and mining, which are acting as growth drivers, and continued weakness in mass consumption, industry and public investment. Link to Article