Argentina posts rare surplus with Brazil as bilateral trade contracts

Bilateral trade between Argentina and Brazil fell 16.9% year-on-year in December, totaling US$ 2.109 billion, down from US$ 2.538 billion in the same month of 2024, according to the latest bilateral trade report released by the Argentine Chamber of Commerce and Services (CAC).

The contraction reflected simultaneous declines in both exports and imports between the two countries. Argentine exports to Brazil amounted to US$ 1.068 billion in December 2025, a drop of 14.1% compared with the same month a year earlier, marking the sixth consecutive monthly decline. Compared with November 2025, exports were also down 3%.

On the import side, Argentine purchases from Brazil totaled US$ 1.042 billion, posting a year-on-year fall of 19.6% — the second decline recorded in 2025 — and a 15.3% decrease from the previous month.

Despite the lower trade flows, the bilateral trade balance swung into surplus for Argentina, posting a positive result of US$ 26 million in December. This marked the first surplus after 17 consecutive months of deficits. For the full year of 2025, however, Argentina still recorded a trade deficit of US$ 5.224 billion with Brazil.

Please refer to the chart below for complete overview of the container trade (measured in TEUs) between Argentina and Brazil from January through November 2025. Click on request a demo for more insights based on Datamar’s business intelligence solutions.

Argentina-Brazil Container Trade | Jan 2022 – Nov 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Sectors affected and regional trade 

According to the CAC, the decline in Argentine exports was mainly driven by lower shipments of passenger motor vehicles, milk, cream and dairy products, as well as parts and accessories for motor vehicles. The drop in imports from Brazil was largely explained by reduced purchases of motor vehicle parts and accessories, passenger vehicles, piston engines, road vehicles, and iron ore and concentrates.

In Brazil’s ranking of trading partners, Argentina placed fourth among the country’s largest suppliers, behind China, Hong Kong and Macao (US$ 5.443 billion), the United States (US$ 3.199 billion) and Germany (US$ 1.094 billion). Among the main destinations for Brazilian exports, Argentina ranked third, surpassed only by China, Hong Kong and Macao (US$ 7.207 billion) and the United States (US$ 3.449 billion).

Brazil’s global exports rose 24.7% in December 2025 compared with a year earlier, increasing from US$ 24.881 billion to US$ 31.038 billion. Imports grew 5.7%, from US$ 20.245 billion to US$ 21.405 billion. As a result, Brazil posted a trade surplus of US$ 9.633 billion in December, maintaining a positive balance for the tenth consecutive month. Over the full year of 2025, Brazil recorded a global trade surplus of US$ 69.943 billion.

Source: Forbes Argentina

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