U.S. demand allowed for the placement of the 100,000 tons planned for 2026 more than three months before the end of the year, after the bilateral agreement expanded preferential access five times
In the month of July, the United States captured 20.8% of the beef shipments worth USD 92.8 million. In global terms, the monthly revenues of the meat industry reached USD 446.6 million in that month, representing an improvement of 4.4% compared to June and an increase of 34% (or USD 113.4 million additional) compared to July 2025.
The success in the livestock sector is framed within a general phenomenon of expansion in foreign trade. At the CERA meeting, Diego Sucalesca stated: “We are experiencing the best start of the year in exports in our history.”
Between January and July of 2026, Argentina achieved external sales of USD 58.365 billion, a 22.9% increase compared to the same period of the previous year, also recording an increase close to 15% in the average value per ton exported.
In light of this scenario, the Chamber of Exporters of the Argentine Republic (CERA) projects that national exports will exceed USD 103 billion during 2026, achieving for the first time the historic threshold of USD 100 billion in sales abroad.
This export platform is supported by a vigorous private sector: today the country registers 7,931 exporting companies, a figure that implies a growth of 4.1% compared to 2025 and 7.6% in relation to 2023. On this point, Diego Sucalesca emphasized: “Today we have 7,931 exporting companies, 4.1% more than in 2025 and 7.6% more than in 2023. All of this demonstrates that we are in the presence of a solid export platform, a platform that adds and integrates capabilities.”
Finally, the international insertion agenda led by President Javier Milei will continue on October 2 in Paris during Argentina Week, where PromArgentina will lead the day Argentina B2B Week | Seafood Edition to connect exporters of wild shrimp and scallops with French buyers.
In an unprecedented event for foreign trade, the Argentine Republic exhausted the quota of 100,000 tons of tariff-free beef to the US in just 9 months. The country has already committed the entire 100,000 tons of beef authorized for 2026 under the preferential tariff regime. This decisive achievement was made possible thanks to the diplomatic efforts of the Government of Javier Milei, who managed to expand the export quota from the historic 20,000 tons to 100,000 tons, as part of the Reciprocal Trade and Investment Agreement signed between Argentina and the United States.
The negotiation added 80,000 tons additional and multiplied by five the volume with preferential access to the US market. The strong American demand caused the quota planned for the entire year to be filled more than three months in advance, while the United States firmly established itself as the second main destination for Argentine beef, ranking only behind China.
The official announcement was made by the Executive President of PromArgentina, Diego Sucalesca, during the celebration of the 30 years of Export Day organized by the Chamber of Exporters of the Argentine Republic (CERA). During his speech, Diego Sucalesca confirmed: “Argentina has already sold 100,000 tons of beef to the US and fulfilled the export quota even earlier than expected.”
In turn, PromArgentina highlighted that the early fulfillment of the goals reaffirms international confidence in the country and allows for the expectation that Argentina could access a larger quota in 2027 in one of the most demanding and relevant markets on the planet.
The quantitative leap in sales responded to the active trade diplomacy promoted by the libertarian management through the Argentina B2B Week strategy. In this framework, two editions of the Argentine Beef Week in the US were held, covering six key cities: Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, and Houston. These rounds connected 23 national slaughterhouses with American importers and distributors, resulting in more than 500 direct business contacts.
According to data from the Chamber of the Meat Industry and Trade of the Argentine Republic (CICCRA), during the first seven months of the year, Argentina exported to the United States 65,500 tons of beef (the 19.5% of the total sold abroad by the sector), reflecting a year-on-year growth of 211.5% (equivalent to 44,500 tons additional). Meanwhile, the average price recorded increased by 13.1% year-on-year, standing at USD 8,257 per ton.
