Japan has reopened its market to Argentine beef after 20 years, following a negotiation process initiated in 2024 by the government of Javier Milei.
The agreement includes the entry of cuts produced in the Argentine region free of foot-and-mouth disease with vaccination, after authorities from both countries agreed on the necessary health requirements to finalize the exports.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Economy, Luis "Toto" Caputo, via the social network X. The official emphasized the importance of the Japanese market and linked the opening to new possibilities for the production and external sales of Argentine beef.
Argentinian meat
Caputo stated that “Japan imports high-quality beef from around the world for over USD 3 billion annually” and asserted that “this opening creates new opportunities for Argentine production and exports.”
The minister added that the agreement “recognizes the quality of our beef and the strength of our health system,” before concluding: “More markets, more international insertion for Argentina, more exports, and more opportunities for the country.”
The Argentine Rural Society (SRA) also celebrated the opening of the Japanese market and highlighted the work done by Argentine producers in health and quality matters.
The organization noted that the decision “represents a new opportunity for Argentine beef and recognizes the sustained work of Argentine producers in health, traceability, and quality.”
“From the SRA, we value this opening, the result of the work carried out by the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Economy, SENASA, and IPCVA, along with the private sector. Building sanitary and commercial trust is an important achievement in terms of market opening and international insertion for the entire Argentine livestock and meat chain,” the organization stated.
The message from Luis Caputo
Projections for 2026
The inclusion of Japan comes as the livestock sector maintains expectations about the performance of exports during 2026. Livestock consultant and SRA director, Andrés Costamagna, projected that Argentine beef exports will exceed USD 3 billion during the year.
This scenario is complemented by the performance of exports to the United States. Argentina completed before the end of 2026 the quota of 100,000 tons of beef with preferential access to that market. According to the executive president of PromArgentina, Diego Sucalesca, the allocated volume was covered earlier than expected.
During the first seven months of the year, Argentine shipments to the United States reached 65,500 tons, equivalent to 19.5% of the total exported, with a year-on-year increase of 211.5%. The average price reached USD 8,257 per ton, 13.1% higher than a year earlier.
In the same period, external sales of Argentine beef to all destinations reached USD 2.768 billion, according to data from the Argentine Meat Exporters Consortium (ABC). Approximately 403,100 tons of product weight were shipped, with year-on-year increases of 6.7% in volume and 41.8% in value.
The difference between both increases reflects the rise in international prices. In July, the average export value of refrigerated and frozen beef reached USD 7,123 per ton, 27.5% more than in the same month of 2025 and 1.3% above the June figure
