
Argentina
Global Trade Profile β’ Rank #49 Exporter
$66.98B
Total Exports (2023)
$73.13B
Total Imports (2023)
$6.16B
Trade Deficit
#49
Export Ranking
Trade Flow Visualization
Interactive map showing Argentina's top trading partners. Green lines represent exports, red lines represent imports.
#49
Export Rank
$66.98B
Total Exports
$73.13B
Total Imports
-$6.16B
Trade Balance
27
Trade Partners
π Top Export Destinations
Brazil
USA
China
Chile
Peru
India
Viet Nam
Malaysia
Spain
NetherlandsTop Export Products
π₯ Top Import Sources
Brazil
China
USA
Paraguay
Germany
Thailand
Italy
Mexico
Viet Nam
IndiaTop Import Products
π Historical Trade Trends (1995-2023)
29 Years
Data Coverage
29
Data Points
π
Trend Direction
Argentina Trade Analysis 2023
π Overview
Argentina stands as the world's #49 largest exporter and #47 largest importer, demonstrating substantial regional trade importance.
The trade profile reveals a deficit of 6.16 billion, reflecting import dependencies for growth.
The country maintains active trading relationships with 20 major partners, creating a highly diversified trade network.
Monthly trade flows average $11.68B, generating continuous economic activity across logistics, finance, and trade services.
π’ Export Markets
Export Market Concentration
Export concentration shows Brazil as the dominant market at 17.8%. The top three markets control 35.1% of exports.
Regional patterns reveal globally balanced access. Secondary markets (India, Viet Nam, Malaysia) provide $9.22B in additional trade.
π¦ Import Sources
Import Source Concentration
Argentina relies heavily on Brazil for imports (23.0%),creating supply chain concentration risk.
Manufacturing inputs come primarily from China, Thailand, Viet Nam, Rep. of Korea, reflecting deep integration into Asian production networks. China's dominant position at 14.33 billion encompasses electronics components, textiles, machinery parts, and consumer goods, creating both efficiency benefits and concentration risks.
The USA provides 9.21 billion (12.6%) in imports, concentrated in agricultural products, aircraft, pharmaceuticals, and advanced technology.The top 10 import sources account for 75.4% of total imports, with the remaining 25% distributed among 10 other suppliers.
Regional sourcing patterns reveal diversified global sourcing. European suppliers including Germany (2.83B), Italy (1.61B), France (1.11B) focus on luxury goods, machinery, and specialized chemicals.
Supply chain resilience strategies increasingly emphasize "China Plus One" approaches, with Thailand, Viet Nam, Indiaemerging as alternative manufacturing bases. The geographic proximity of major suppliers balances efficiency with risk diversification.
π¦ Product Composition
π Export Products
Top Export Products
Argentina's export economy centers on diversified industrial production, with the leading export being whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of soya-bean oilat $7.99 billion, accounting for 11.9% of total exports.
Vehicle-related products including passenger cars, hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and automotive parts total approximately 6.48 billion or 9.7% of exports, encompassing 3 distinct product categories.
The automotive sector's dominance is evident in the export portfolio, with compression-ignition internal combustion piston en... (4.61B), with only spark-ignition internal combustion recip... (1.04B), with only compression-ignition internal combustion... (823.12M). This automotive specialization reflects decades of manufacturing excellence, continuous innovation in fuel efficiency and hybrid technology, and established global brand recognition.
The transition to electric and hybrid vehicles is captured in export data, with 0 categories specifically related to alternative propulsion systems, totaling $0.
Beyond automotive, Argentina maintains strong positions in specialized equipment,, and Oil-cake and other solid residues, Cereals, Oils.
The top 20 export products collectively account for 62.0% of total exports, revealing moderate concentration with room for further diversification.
π Import Products
Top Import Products
Import requirements center on other than seed, whether or not broken at 5.44 billion (7.4%), indicating resource dependency.
Beyond energy, critical imports include other than seed, whether or not broken (5.44B, 7.4%), parts (1.49B, 2.0%), gear boxes and parts thereof (928.10M, 1.3%), parts and accessories, of bodies, other ... (909.37M, 1.2%), consisting of mixed or unmixed products ... (869.19M, 1.2%).Electronic components and devices total 2.25 billion (3.1% of imports), supporting domestic manufacturing and assembly operations. Pharmaceutical products represent 1.66 billion (2.3%), reflecting healthcare sector demands. Metal ores and minerals contribute 440.70 million (0.6%), feeding industrial processing capacity.
The import product mix reveals structural characteristics of Argentina's economy: heavy reliance on imported energy despite industrial advancement, integration into global electronics supply chains, and sophisticated consumption patterns.
The ratio of raw materials to finished goods in imports (11 : 9among top 20 products) indicates significant value-addition activities domestically. Import substitution potential exists in agriculture and technology sectors through targeted industrial policies and investment.
Product diversification metrics reveal focused product specializationwith implications for economic resilience and growth potential. The technology ladder progression from 16 primary products to 3 high-tech goods indicates the economy's structural transformation and industrial upgrading trajectory.
Value addition opportunities exist in transitioning from raw material exports to processed goods, from components to finished products, and from standard to customized offerings. The product space connectivity, measuring relatedness between current exports and potential new products, suggests need for capability building to enter new product categories.
βοΈ Trade Balance Dynamics
| Partner | Exports | Imports | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | $11.93B | $16.81B | $-4.88B |
| China | $5.28B | $14.33B | $-9.05B |
| USA | $6.28B | $9.21B | $-2.93B |
| Chile | $5.08B | $844.46M | +$4.23B |
| Paraguay | $1.22B | $4.29B | $-3.07B |
Export-to-import ratio of 0.916 means exports cover 91.6% of import costs.
π Key Relationships
Major Trading Partners
| Partner | Exports | Imports | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | $11.93B | $16.81B | $-4.88B |
| China | $5.28B | $14.33B | $-9.05B |
| USA | $6.28B | $9.21B | $-2.93B |
| Chile | $5.08B | $844.46M | +$4.23B |
| Paraguay | $1.22B | $4.29B | $-3.07B |
| India | $2.56B | $1.33B | +$1.23B |
| Viet Nam | $2.07B | $1.39B | +$680.59M |
| Germany | $0 | $2.83B | $-2.83B |
| Total | $34.43B | $51.04B | $-16.61B |
The Argentina-Brazil relationship leads at 28.74 billion in bilateral trade.View detailed analysis β
Additional major partnerships include USA (15.49B total trade), Chile (5.92B total trade), Paraguay (5.52B total trade). Regional integration through Asian supply chains facilitates technology transfer, market access, and production efficiency. The diversity of trading relationshipsβ90.81B across top 10 partnersβprovides resilience against bilateral tensions and regional disruptions.
π Competitive Position
Global rankings position Argentina as the #49 exporter worldwide,as a significant regional trader. The country's share of global exports at approximately 0.670%offers opportunities for market share expansion.
Export sophistication, measured by the dominance of primary commodities, indicates potential for value chain upgrading. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index shows strongest competitiveness in sectors where Argentina's global market share exceeds its overall trade share by factors of 2 or more.
Competitive advantages emerge in sectors where export concentration exceeds import share, particularly inwhether or not ground or , maize (corn), other than , compression-ignition inte. The revealed comparative advantage is strongest in product categories representing28.0% of exports. Market positioning against regional competitors shows niche specialization opportunities.
Trade complementarity with major partners suggests regional production network participation. The export quality ladder, comparing unit values to world averages, indicates competitive pricing strategies.
Competitive dynamics are shaped by factor endowments including cost advantages and resource availability, infrastructure quality, and business environment. The export survival rate, measuring the persistence of export relationships over time, suggests need for relationship strengthening.
Innovation capacity, reflected in the technology content of exports and R&D intensity, determines long-term competitiveness trajectories. The competitive threat from emerging exporters in similar product categories requires continuous upgrading and differentiation strategies to maintain market position. Regional integration through trade agreements provides preferential access to0 markets, creating competitive advantages over non-member competitors.
π― Strategic Outlook
Strategic Priority
The trade profile presents both opportunities and challenges for economic development strategy. Key strengths include strong import capacity enabling technology transfer and consumption growth,diversified market access reducing concentration risk, and competitive positions in essential commodities.
Vulnerabilities include product concentration in cyclical sectors. The intersection of these factors creates a complex strategic landscape requiring careful navigation to maximize opportunities while mitigating risks.
Strategic priorities should focus on export promotion and import substitution to enhance trade competitiveness. Opportunities exist in expanding trade with Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, developing new product capabilities in higher technology sectors, and strengthening regional integration through new partnership frameworks.
The digital transformation of trade, including e-commerce, digital services, and blockchain-based trade finance, offers new avenues for market access and efficiency gains. Green trade opportunities in renewable energy, sustainable products, and carbon markets represent growing segments aligned with global sustainability goals.
The evolving global trade environment, characterized by technological disruption, geopolitical realignment, and sustainability imperatives, will fundamentally reshape Argentina's trade prospects. Success requires balanced policies addressing both improving export capacity while ensuring sustainable import financing.
Investment in infrastructure, education, and innovation ecosystems will determine the ability to climb value chains and capture larger shares of global value addition. The resilience agenda, emphasizing supply chain robustness, strategic autonomy in critical sectors, and economic security considerations, must be balanced with efficiency and openness principles.
As global trade patterns continue evolving, Argentina's position as the world's #49 exporter provides a platform for continued growth, requiring adaptive strategies, institutional strengthening, and sustained commitment to competitiveness enhancement in an increasingly complex and interconnected global economy.
Data Notes
Data from CEPII BACI database, harmonized using UN Comtrade methodology. All values in current USD at 2023 exchange rates. Trade statistics cover merchandise goods only, excluding services. Mirror statistics reconciliation applied for data consistency. 2024 data available January 2026. HS6 product classification follows 2017 revision.
Data source: CEPII BACI | Last updated: January 2025 | Next update: January 2026