Uruguay industrial exports fall 5.8% in August as agro shipments weaken

Uruguay industrial exports fell 5.8% year over year in August to US$885 million, although the sector remained in positive territory for the first eight months of 2026.

Exports totaled US$7.14 billion between January and August, up 2.5% from the same period last year, according to the latest foreign trade report from Uruguay’s Chamber of Industries, or CIU. The figures include shipments originating in the country’s free trade zones.

When free trade zones and refinery operations are excluded, the decline was steeper. Uruguay’s core industrial exports totaled US$617 million in August, down 7% from a year earlier. January-August sales in this segment reached US$5.05 billion, up 3.4%.

That increase in export value, however, was not matched by physical cargo volumes. Core industrial export volumes fell 0.9% year over year during the first eight months, after stripping out the effect of higher prices.

Industrial manufactures rise nearly 20%

Performance varied sharply across Uruguay’s manufacturing segments.

Exports of industrial-origin manufactured goods, known locally as MOI, reached US$175 million in August, up 19.5% from the same month of 2025.

January-August exports in the category totaled US$1.28 billion, an increase of 12.5% year over year and well above the growth recorded by industrial exports overall.

Among the products contributing to the increase, exports of goods vehicles to Brazil rose 128% year over year, while shipments of wood products used in construction to the United States jumped 979%. Non-monetary gold exports to the U.S. market increased 101%.

By contrast, exports of distillation and rectification equipment to Argentina fell 95%.

Agro-industrial exports drop 14.5%

Agricultural-origin manufactured goods, or MOA, moved in the opposite direction.

Exports in the segment totaled US$442 million in August, down 14.5% year over year. Over the first eight months, shipments were worth US$3.77 billion, only 0.6% above the same period of 2025.

Several of Uruguay’s main food export categories contributed to the August decline.

Meat-product exports fell 12%, dairy shipments dropped 30%, and exports of milling products declined 24% from August 2025.

The report highlighted weaker shipments of fresh boneless beef to the Netherlands, unsweetened milk powder to Algeria and husked rice to Turkey among the movements weighing on the monthly result.

Some food categories posted strong gains, however. Fruit juice exports to the United States rose 278% year over year, while dulce de leche shipments to Brazil increased 76%.

The August figures show an increasingly uneven pattern in Uruguay industrial exports. Higher-value industrial manufactures continue to expand, while agro-industrial products — a major component of the country’s foreign trade — lost momentum during the month.

At the same time, the 0.9% decline in physical volumes despite higher export revenue suggests that price effects are still supporting headline trade values even as actual cargo flows soften.

Source: Ámbito

Sharing is caring!