The United States and Argentina on Thursday signed an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and Investment (ARTI), granting U.S. goods preferential market access to the South American nation.
The agreement, signed by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno contains several trade and investment-related terms based on the framework of President Donald Trump’s breakthrough reciprocal trade deals signed with U.S-friendly Latin American countries in November.
The new U.S.-Argentina deal also allows President Javier Milei to continue opening his nation’s notoriously protectionist economy following nearly two decades’ worth of socialist administrations. Milei, upon taking office, conducted a “realignment” of Argentina’s foreign policy with the United States and Israel as its main allies.
“The deepening partnership between President Trump and President Milei serves as a model of how countries in the Americas, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, can advance our shared ambitions and safeguard our economic and national security,” Greer said.
“The U.S.-Argentina Agreement lowers long-standing trade barriers and provides significant market access for American exporters, ranging from motor vehicles to a wide array of agricultural products. I thank Argentina’s Minister Pablo Quirno for his commitment to achieving a stronger, more balanced partnership,” he continued.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry informed through a press release that the agreement is the first of its kind in the region and consolidates Argentina’s “strategic alliance and mutual trust” with the United States, noting that more than 330 American companies presently operate in the country.
President Milei celebrated the signing of the deal with a brief social media post that read “MA&AGA,” a refference to “Make America and Argentina Great Again.”
The Argentine presidency, in an official statement, detailed that the agreement aims to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers, facilitate trade, modernize custom procedures, and promote investment in key sectors such as energy, critical materials, and technology — reaffirming the Milei administration’s decision to “integrate Argentina into the world, leave behind decades of isolation, and move toward an open, competitive, and predictable economy that rewards investment, work, and innovation.”
“The signing of this agreement, achieved thanks to President Javier G. Milei’s vision of openness and regional integration, and his excellent relationship with US President Donald J. Trump, is another pillar that allows Argentina to once again be part of the Western world,” the statement read in part.
The presidency explained that the agreement will be sent to the Argentine Congress for its due consideration as per the nation’s constitution states, stressing that Milei “trusts that legislators understand the responsibility they have ahead of them to rise to this unprecedented opportunity.”
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