Mercosur beef exports slow as Argentina gains ground

Argentina entered September with stronger beef export momentum than several of its main Mercosur competitors, as shipments from Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay lost pace and regional supply tightened.

According to Datamar data, Argentina’s beef exports maintained strong momentum, with 27,124 TEUs shipped in the first half of 2026. The chart below shows the growth in shipments of this product:

Argentina Beef Exports | Jan 2023 – Jun 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Between January and August 2026, Argentina exported 476,725 metric tons of beef on a product-weight basis, generating US$3.29 billion in revenue. Volumes rose 5.9% year over year, while export earnings jumped 39.8%, according to INDEC data analyzed by the Rosario Livestock Market, Rosgan.

August was Argentina’s strongest month of the year by volume, with shipments reaching about 72,900 tons.

The year-on-year comparison shows that higher prices have played a major role in the improvement. Argentine beef export volumes in August were only 0.4% above the same month of 2025, while revenue increased 29.1%.

The stronger Argentine performance comes as beef supply from other major South American exporters has weakened in recent months.

Brazil remains dominant despite July-August slowdown

Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay exported a combined 2.8 million metric tons of beef between January and August, roughly 100,000 tons more than in the same period last year.

Brazil remained by far the region’s largest exporter, with about 1.9 million tons, up 5% year over year. Argentina followed with 476,725 tons, while Uruguay shipped 232,344 tons, down 12%, and Paraguay exported 186,140 tons, a decline of 24%.

Source: Rosgan, based on INDEC, Secex, INAC and BCP data.

The regional picture changed significantly in July and August. Brazilian beef shipments fell about 20% year over year during the two-month period, removing more than 120,000 tons from global supply. As a result, combined Mercosur beef exports during those two months fell 16% from a year earlier, according to Rosgan.

Brazil’s slowdown followed a very strong first half, when the country shipped close to 1.5 million tons, up 16% year over year and equivalent to roughly 70% of the four countries’ combined exports.

China’s safeguard system has since become an important constraint on Brazilian shipments. The country’s 2026 quota was set at about 1.1 million tons, with beef entering above the limit subject to an additional 55% tariff. Brazil was approaching the quota ceiling by midyear, and its beef exports fell sharply in August.

Brazilian beef has also faced restrictions in the European Union since September 3 over EU requirements related to antimicrobial controls.

China remains central to Argentina’s beef trade

China remained Argentina’s largest beef destination in August, accounting for 59.1% of exported volume. Shipments to European markets also increased, according to the Rosgan analysis.

The reduction in competing South American supply has created what Rosgan describes as a potentially short-lived commercial opening for Argentine exporters, particularly in markets where Brazilian volumes have temporarily declined.

That does not alter Brazil’s position as the dominant regional supplier. Rather, the recent drop in Brazilian shipments has reduced the amount of Mercosur beef reaching international markets at a time when Argentina’s own exports are moving in the opposite direction.

Uruguay and Paraguay have contributed to the tightening. Uruguay’s shipments fell from 265,412 tons in January-August 2025 to 232,344 tons this year, while Paraguay’s exports dropped from 243,958 tons to 186,140 tons.

Brazil seeks additional access to China

Brazil is already looking for ways to maintain its presence in the Chinese market after reaching the limits of its own quota.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on September 21 that Uruguay had authorized Brazil to use part of its unused beef export quota to China. The arrangement would still require Chinese approval before it can be implemented.

The potential transfer is unlikely to significantly alter 2026 trade flows because of the time required for approval, contracting, shipment and transit, according to industry assessments.

That leaves the near-term Mercosur beef export market with a different balance than at the start of the year: Brazil remains the region’s largest supplier by a wide margin, but its recent slowdown, combined with lower shipments from Uruguay and Paraguay, has reduced regional supply just as Argentina records higher volumes and sharply stronger export revenue.

Source: AgroLatam

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