Argentina-US deal: ‘A step towards a free trade agreement’

Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno called the Argentina-U.S. reciprocal trade and investment a “step towards a free trade agreement” between the two countries, a goal President Milei has stated is of prime importance. “This is the result of a crucial political decision to align ourselves with the top world power,” the foreign minister added, describing the agreement as the first of its kind in Latin America, as it will not only help boost trade but also investments.  This is actually the third agreement of this kind the U.S. has signed in the region. In January 2026, Washington completed two similar deals, one with El Salvador and another with Guatemala.  Quirno offered his remarks in a joint press conference on Friday alongside Chief of Staff Manuel Adorni, called to officially announce the agreement and offer details. The deal, which was published in full on Thursday, spans multiple topics from tariffs and regulations to intellectual property.  While the agreement does not require approval by the U.S. Congress, it does need to go through the Argentine Parliament. According to Adorni, it will be sent as soon as all documents are translated, possibly in early March.  Speaking to reporters, Quirno clarified that the deal is in line with Mercosur regulations but made a point of saying that Argentina wants more “flexibility” in its ability to generate trade agreements. “The Mercosur-EU deal took 25 years to sign, and his one took a little over a year. We can’t waste a single day,” Quirno argued.  The minister also looked to dispel rumblings that certain provisions in the deal are aimed at curtailing China’s influence and economic footprint in the country on account of its trade war with the U.S.  “There are no elliptic references,” he responded to a reporter asking if the article demanding efforts to combat “forced labor” was based on the accusations leveled at Chinese companies and included to impact their reach.   Details of the agreement On Thursday, the Office of the United States Trade Representative published the complete agreement, detailing 113 commitments made by Buenos Aires and ten by Washington. It has six main sections and 21 articles covering tariffs, regulatory issues, intellectual property, and the review of non-tariff barriers. The U.S. office celebrated the deal with a post on X.  “From medicines and motor vehicles to machinery and agricultural goods, the U.S.-brokered deal with Argentina secures significant market access for U.S. agricultural and industrial exports.” One of the most significant articles is the one related to taxation, as it stipulates that the U.S. will roll back the 10% tariff for Argentina announced by President Donald Trump on April 2, 2025 (known as “Liberation Day”).  This means that export products will return to the previous rates. The only exceptions are steel and aluminum, two products where there is currently no deal in place as negotiations remain “ongoing.” Another article states that Argentina is forbidden to buy “nuclear reactors, fuel rods, or enriched uranium from certain countries,” without detailing which ones. Argentina has also made commitments to effectively ban “the importation of goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part by forced or compulsory labor as defined by the relevant International Labor Organization (ILO) instruments to which it is a party.”  According to the latest ILO report on forced labor, China provided no data on the matter. The most sensible provisions, however, are likely to be those related to regulations and intellectual property, specifically patent law.  The deal states that the Milei administration has committed to striking down a slew of norms regulating patenting criteria for products created in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries. Furthermore, Argentina must ratify the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) in Congress before April 30, as well as confirm other international treaties before the end of 2027. This specific legislative patent law package, which must be approved by Congress, has the potential to impact powerful sectors of the Argentine economy like pharmaceuticals and agribusiness companies. Another point heavily discussed in Argentine media and political circles is the provisions related to beef. On Thursday, the foreign ministry said in a statement that the U.S. is granting preferential access to 80,000 extra tons of Argentine beef this year. That decision is not in the agreement’s articles but in an appendix, raising suspicions that the matter is not part of the treaty but rather a concession made by the U.S. government.  In a television interview on Friday, Quirno later explicitly stated that negotiations over Argentine beef’s access to U.S. markets are “not part of the agreement.”  However, one of the articles of the deal does specify that Argentina will open its borders to 10 meat and 39 cheese products coming from the U.S., including cheddar and salami.  Asked in the press conference about allowing U.S. beef entrance into Argentina, considering the latter’s strength in the market, Quirno said that many provisions are regulated, which he called “mirror clauses.” “That means that they theoretically work both ways, but in reality will depend on each sector. In the case of beef, it makes more sense for Argentina to have greater access,” he stated.