According to sources involved in the negotiations, the agreement is fully elaborated and only awaits US President Donald Trump to determine the right political moment to publicly announce the most sensitive aspects. The formal presentation last Thursday confirmed the existence of a general scheme that opens the door to significant tariff benefits for Argentine exports and better conditions for investments, although it avoided delving into key points such as the levels of preference granted, the sectors covered, or the conditions for sensitive products like meat, aluminum, and steel. It is also being evaluated whether certain aspects will need to go through the US Congress or the Argentine Parliament, although there are no firm definitions yet. Experts like Ignacio Albe, from the Atlantic Council, consider the announcement to be a strategic signal from Washington to Buenos Aires. They also hinted that, at least in the formal text, there would be no immediate expansion of the Argentine export quota to the United States. They also point out that the recognition of the country in potential measures related to national security is an unusual gesture within US trade policy. The possibilities for Argentina, analysts agree, are vast: greater predictability for exporters, preferential access for key sectors, potential quota expansion, and a framework for investments that could attract capital in strategic areas. The White House, however, insists that the entry of Argentine meat will help alleviate consumer prices in the short term, and that the USDA will implement measures to support local producers. Another of the still open points is that of aluminum and steel. The US industry has reservations due to internal pressure on food prices, which forces the Trump administration to balance the benefits of cheaper imports with the concerns of the livestock sector. In parallel, the trade pact is unfolding in a particular financial and political context. It currently represents about 3% of Argentine exports to the United States, but a significant increase in the quota—such as the one mentioned by President Javier Milei at the recent business forum in Miami, which would raise the quota to 80,000 tons—would expand the local presence in a high-demand market. The bilateral framework, according to sources with access to the draft, was designed to offer commercial predictability in a context where the US seeks to secure supplies and diversify providers in the face of protectionist trends that marked recent years. The text released by the White House allowed anticipating part of the strategy: Argentina will grant preferential market access for an extensive list of US products—including medicines, chemicals, machinery, medical devices, and vehicles—while the US would commit to eliminating reciprocal tariffs on resources it does not produce, as well as to evaluate the agreement's impact on future national security measures. The ruling coalition's victory provided political leeway for the Milei administration to advance economic reforms and international commitments that, according to diplomatic sources, were positively valued by Washington to accelerate the agreement's activation. Structurally, bilateral trade remains marked by a historically deficit balance for Argentina. The coming weeks will be decisive to learn the real scope of a pact that already modifies the business climate and could redefine the national export profile in the coming years. Sources: Infobae; White House; Analytica; Argentine Government; US diplomatic sources. Only then, in a coordinated move with announcements linked to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Ecuador, the White House decided to activate this bilateral framework, in a context of strong domestic pressure due to the rise in food prices. At this point, one of the most sensitive elements appears: the impact of the agreement on the beef market. However, the implementation will depend on the technical precision of the annexes that remain reserved and on the political dynamic in Washington, where some segments of the Republican Party are reluctant to grant broad benefits to even strategic trading partners. Despite this, the agreement represents an exceptional opportunity for Argentine economic diplomacy at a time when the US seeks to rebuild supply chains and guarantee access to critical resources. However, Argentine sources maintain that the quota increase—from 20,000 to 80,000 tons annually—is included in the agreement, although it has not yet been communicated for internal political reasons in Washington. The US livestock sector and Republican legislators have expressed their rejection of any quota increase, especially in a year where inflationary pressure on food has become a central element of the political debate. They highlight that the elimination of tariffs for products the US does not produce is unusual, and that Argentina appears in this case as an exception to the general protectionist stance applied even to historical partners like the European Union or Japan. The Government has already anticipated by reducing to zero the withholdings for shipments destined for markets where tariffs exceed 45%, a measure aimed at improving the competitiveness margin in treaties such as the one now being negotiated with Washington. Beef is another sector that could benefit. Although the understanding disseminated by both governments does not yet detail the full extent of the tariff benefits, it does establish a basis for cooperation that could transform the bilateral flow of strategic goods. The Argentine Government considers that the agreement represents an opportunity to advance in the reduction or elimination of tariffs affecting key products such as meat, steel, aluminum, and certain critical natural resources. Buenos Aires, November 14, 2025 – Total News Agency-TNA-The recent trade understanding between Argentina and the United States, presented as a 'framework' or general framework for trade and investments, marks a milestone in the bilateral relationship, although it still keeps central details under reserve that will define its true economic and political scope. The drafting of the bilateral framework mentions that the United States 'could consider positively' the impact of the agreement on its national security, without specifying reductions or definitive commitments. While the communication of the technical annexes is awaited, legal teams work to verify the agreement's compatibility with the legislations of both countries and with the rules of the World Trade Organization. Although the official document barely mentions that both nations 'will mutually improve access to trade in meat', US officials indicated that the exemption of the 10% tariff applied by Trump to Argentine products is planned. The United States is a key partner for energy goods, minerals, and industrial products, while it absorbs more than half of the aluminum exported by Argentina and a significant percentage of the regional economies, especially honey, citrus, shrimp, and wines. The elimination or reduction of tariffs would allow strengthening these sectors, improving international insertion, and offering local industries a scenario of greater competitiveness in a market of 342 million inhabitants. The framework agreement only mentions the improvement of reciprocal access, but behind that diplomatic formulation, a high-impact economic and political opening is being negotiated. The new agreement could establish a tariff reduction accompanied by an export limit, similar to the one negotiated during the Mauricio Macri administration. The United States backed the Argentine Government with a USD 20 billion swap and with direct purchases of pesos to stabilize the foreign exchange market before the midterm elections. In 2018, Trump had raised tariffs on these metals to 50% under the category of 'national security'. This reference is key, as it could enable a differentiated treatment for Argentina under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, currently the legal basis that supports the 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum. The eventual flexibility of those taxes would be particularly relevant for the Argentine metallurgical complex. However, the real impact will depend on the still-undisseminated details and on how Trump manages his announcement, conditioned both by his internal political agenda and by the delicate balance between protectionism and the need to lower prices in a year of deep inflationary pressure. A tariff-free export quota, similar to the one established in 2018 between the Mauricio Macri and Donald Trump administrations, would allow again placing up to 180,000 tons annually in the US market, favoring especially companies like Aluar and steel producers that depend on predictable access conditions. Buenos Aires, November 14, 2025 – Total News Agency-TNA-The announcement of the new framework agreement on trade and investments between Argentina and the United States opened immediate expectations in local export sectors seeking to improve their competitiveness in the North American market, the third most important for the country. The expectation also includes sectors linked to the pharmaceutical industry, especially those non-patented inputs indispensable for US productive chains. Confidentiality, sources from both countries agree, is a central part of Washington's strategy to manage the pact's internal impact. The wait to advance had begun weeks ago: the agreement was practically ready for over a month, but Trump decided to postpone its announcement until the resolution of the prolonged shutdown that paralyzed the federal administration for 43 days. Between 2014 and 2023, the country registered an average negative of USD 3.666 billion annually, although in 2024 it managed to partially reverse the trend thanks to a pronounced reduction in imports in the midst of a recessionary process.
