Trump administration urges Milei to advance US-Argentina trade deal

The Donald Trump administration has urged Javier Milei’s government to move forward with economic commitments reached between Argentina and the United States.

The request was made during a meeting in Buenos Aires between officials from both countries, with Washington calling for the bilateral trade agreement to be sent to Congress to complete its ratification process, according to local media.

The request was made last week by Jeff Goettman, the United States Deputy Trade Representative, who met with Argentina’s Economy Minister Luis Caputo and Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno. During the meeting, the US official praised the economic measures implemented by the Milei administration while also stressing the need for Argentina to complete the outstanding domestic steps required to implement the agreement.

The Reciprocal Trade and Investment Agreement (ARTI) was signed in Washington on February 5 and is one of the pillars of a new phase in bilateral relations. However, it has yet to fully enter into force because both countries must complete the outstanding legal procedures.

In Argentina’s case, one of the steps Washington is calling for is congressional consideration of the agreement. The Trump administration is therefore seeking to have the Casa Rosada establish a strategy for moving ahead with ratification.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative has stressed that Washington will continue to fulfil its commitments under the agreement and said it expected Argentina to do the same.

The ARTI provides for a reduction in trade barriers between the two countries and establishes tariff changes covering a wide range of products.

One of the main provisions is the immediate elimination of tariffs on 221 US products once the agreement enters into force. The list includes medicines, machinery, IT-related products and certain vehicles. A further 20 products will have their import duties reduced to a maximum tariff of 2 per cent.

The agreement also establishes duty-free import quotas for 57 categories of products, including beef, cars and cheese. In the case of beef, the agreement provides for a quota of up to 80,000 tonnes from the United States.

Argentina has also made commitments relating to the elimination of the statistical tax and to certain import licences that currently act as barriers to the entry of US products.

The definitive implementation of these measures depends on the completion of the legal process required by both countries.

Beef at the centre of trade relations

One of the sectors that has gained greatest prominence during the negotiations is beef. The Trump administration expanded Argentina’s access to the US market by increasing its export quota. The quota rose from 20,000 to 100,000 tonnes, representing a substantial improvement for Argentine exporters.

The Milei administration regards access to the US market as one of the most important opportunities for increasing agro-industrial exports and deepening economic ties with Washington.

The United States recently announced a new 300,000-tonne tariff-free beef quota aimed at boosting supply for the domestic market. Argentina was not included in the new quota because it already has its own preferential regime agreed bilaterally.

Argentine exports to the US surge

Washington’s request comes as bilateral trade continues to expand. According to Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, Argentine exports to the United States totalled almost US$6 billion between January and July 2026, a 38 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

The United States now accounts for approximately 10 percent of all Argentine exports, making it the second-largest destination for Argentine goods. The main products behind the increase are beef, metals, fuels and energy.

Quirno recently highlighted the evolution of the trade balance between the two countries. According to his figures, Argentina recorded a bilateral surplus of approximately US$2 billion during the first seven months of the year, almost nine times higher than the surplus recorded during the same period in 2025.

The latest US request puts the ARTI back on Argentina’s political agenda and could accelerate a process that has so far remained pending. The Milei administration must now decide when to send the agreement to Congress and whether it can secure the legislative support needed for ratification.

The vote will also carry a broader political significance. The agreement would lower trade barriers and open the Argentine market further to selected US products, while giving Argentine exporters greater access to the US market. Its ratification would therefore provide a test of Milei’s ability to translate his close political and economic alignment with Washington into concrete changes to bilateral trade.