Argentine's trade with the EU is at its lowest historical levels
A study published by the Rosario Board of Trade (BCR) showed that international trade between Argentine and the European Union (EU) is at its lowest point after three decades of exchange.
The country went from allocating 30% of its exports to the European bloc in 1990 to just 9.8% in the first ten months of 2025, a share that the entity defined as a historic low.
The collapse is mainly explained by the sharp drop in trade of soybean meal and biodiesel, two products that once boosted the bilateral relationship. Today, far from those record levels, Argentine's presence in the European market has dwindled to a minimum, reflecting a decline that worries both the agricultural sector and the country's trade policy.
The same trend is observed in imports: European products accounted for just 13.7% of the total, the second lowest figure in 35 years. With this scenario, the EU is losing ground in trade with Argentine, while the influence of Asia - especially China - and Southeast Asian countries is increasing.
One of the most relevant findings of the report is that 85% of Argentine exports to Europe are from agribusiness chains, with soybean meal as the flagship product. However, demand from the bloc has been cooling: European imports of soybean meal and pellets reached over 10 million tons in 2010/11 and 2014/15, but in recent seasons have averaged only 8 million tons.
This contraction altered Argentine's export structure. At the beginning of the century, the EU accounted for more than 50% of soybean meal purchases; by the mid-2010s, this had fallen to 40%, and today it stands below 30%. The biodiesel outlook is even more critical: exports to Europe are at their lowest levels in over a decade, affected by trade barriers, regulatory conflicts, and adverse international prices.
Faced with this trend, the agricultural sector and the government are closely monitoring the Mercosur-European Union trade agreement negotiations, which could be finalized before the end of the year. If it is reached, the Rosario Board of Trade (BCR) anticipates a direct impact on the soybean sector, in addition to tariff reductions and new quotas for meat, dairy products, grains, rice, honey, garlic, and other key Argentine agricultural products.
For provinces like Santa Fe, heavily reliant on agribusiness exports, the agreement represents an opportunity to rebuild their presence in a high-purchasing-power market. However, the Rosario Board of Trade (BCR) warns about initiatives within the EU - such as proposed agricultural safeguards - that could limit the benefits and “affect the spirit of the agreement”.
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