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Business · Latin America

Argentina's September trade surplus reaches US$2.976 billion

Argentina recorded a US$2.976 billion trade surplus in September 2026, its largest monthly surplus since June. The surplus was US$2 billion higher than in September 2025 and US$1.5 billion above August.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 4 outlets' reporting · Article text read from 1 of 4 outletsHow it's made

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4 outlets3 regionsLatest reporting 2 min read
Coverage: Too few ratedL 0 · C 2 · R 0 · 2 unrated
Updat3 graphic: Argentina
Updat3 graphic · Map data: Natural Earth Natural Earth (public domain)

What happened

Key facts

  • The September surplus was US$2 billion higher than in September 2025 and US$1.5 billion above August (per buenosairesherald.com).
  • The September surplus was Argentina's largest monthly total since June, when it reached US$3.4 billion (per buenosairesherald.com).
  • Argentina's exports reached US$10 billion in September 2026, up 23.5% year-on-year (per buenosairesherald.com).
  • Argentina's imports reached US$7 billion in September 2026, down 1.8% year-on-year (per buenosairesherald.com, indexbox.io).
  • Crude petroleum oils led September exports at US$1.1 billion, followed by soybean flour at US$1 billion and corn at US$833 million (per buenosairesherald.com).

The brief

Argentina recorded a US$2.976 billion trade surplus in September 2026, the largest monthly total since June, according to the Buenos Aires Herald. The surplus exceeded the September 2025 figure by US$2 billion and was US$1.5 billion higher than August’s result.

The Buenos Aires Herald reported that exports reached US$10 billion, a 23.5% increase from a year earlier, while imports totaled US$7 billion, down 1.8%. The outlet also reported an 8.6% monthly rise in seasonally adjusted exports. Export prices increased 16%, and volumes grew 6%. Crude petroleum oils were Argentina’s largest export category in September, worth US$1.1 billion.

Soybean flour followed at US$1 billion, and corn exports totaled US$833 million. The ten leading export products made up 57.3% of the month’s total exports. Soybeans ranked sixth among export products, with sales of US$468 million, equal to 4.7% of exports. That figure was down 42.6% year-on-year.

On the import side, the ten leading product categories represented 29.4% of the total; motor vehicle parts and accessories accounted for 4.3%, while soybeans represented 3.9%, the Buenos Aires Herald reported. Across the first nine months of 2026, Argentina’s trade surplus reached US$21.2 billion, with exports totaling US$77 billion.

These cumulative figures place September’s monthly balance within a broader surplus recorded over the year to date. The Buenos Aires Herald said the surplus had continued for 34 consecutive months. It also reported that estimates from think tank Fundación Capital put exports on course to exceed US$100 billion by year-end. That is an estimate, not a reported final total.

The outlet linked export growth to gains in prices and volumes and described a regional commodities boom. It also reported that Argentina’s manufacturing industry contracted 2.7% in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, citing official data.

The figures describe a mixed trade picture: higher export earnings alongside declining soybean exports and lower imports.

Why it matters

  • September’s US$2.976 billion surplus reflected US$10 billion in exports and US$7 billion in imports, as reported by the Buenos Aires Herald.
  • The export mix was concentrated: the ten leading products accounted for 57.3% of exports, led by crude petroleum oils, soybean flour and corn.
  • Soybean exports fell 42.6% year-on-year to US$468 million, despite totaling 4.7% of September exports.
  • Fundación Capital’s estimate that exports could exceed US$100 billion by year-end is a projection; the outlet also reported a 2.7% manufacturing contraction in the first eight months.

What to watch next

  • Whether Argentina’s exports exceed the US$100 billion year-end estimate attributed to Fundación Capital.
  • Whether the 34-month run of monthly trade surpluses continues.
  • Whether soybean exports recover from their 42.6% year-on-year September decline.
  • Whether manufacturing’s reported 2.7% contraction in the first eight months changes in later official figures.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
4 source articles · 4 unique outlets
Outlet political mix: Too few rated· 2 Center · 2 unrated
Where the outlets are based: Europe 25% · Asia 25% · Other 50%
Outlet political mix
Too few rated
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
2 outlets
0 outlets
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 2 unrated outlets are not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
4 unique outletsDominant coverage: Europe
How we measure coverage

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Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. A longer-term framework came from the Treaty of Asunción, signed on March 26, 1991, which established Mercosur and set a course toward a regional common market.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. The current export mix has deep roots in the country’s agricultural trade: Argentina joined the World Trade Organization in 1995, while the 1990s expansion of soybean cultivation helped make soy products a major export.
    Background · from our historical context
  3. Argentina replaced its SIRA import-approval system with the SEDI system.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. Javier Milei took office as Argentina’s president.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. Milei’s government announced a devaluation of the peso.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  6. Argentina recorded a US$3.4 billion trade surplus.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

In June 2026, Argentina recorded a US$3.4 billion monthly trade surplus, the previous peak before September. The current export mix has deep roots in the country’s agricultural trade: Argentina joined the World Trade Organization in 1995, while the 1990s expansion of soybean cultivation helped make soy products a major export.

After taking office on December 10, 2023, President Javier Milei announced a peso devaluation on December 12; his government also replaced the SIRA import-approval system with the SEDI system in December 2023. Those changes followed Argentina’s use of import controls to manage access to foreign currency.

Original sources

1 of 4 articles · Europe · Show all

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