A U.S. government envoy visited Argentina to discuss the recent increase in import tariffs announced by President Donald Trump. The envoy, Robert Garverick, Deputy Undersecretary for Policy and Trade Negotiations at the State Department, met in Buenos Aires with government officials and business leaders to monitor the progress of the measures required by the White House.
During the visit, it was speculated that Argentina and the United States could mutually exclude 50 or more products, completely eliminating tariffs. This initiative was supported by Mercosur in a recent meeting. The temporary expansion of the national list of exceptions to the Common External Tariff will allow progress on a new tariff reduction.
Despite the 90-day pause towards countries, except China, imposed by Trump, the 10% tariff remains in effect for Argentine exports, affecting various sectors of the economy. It is estimated that the 50 product positions could represent 80% of Argentine exports to the United States, totaling about $5 billion.
From the Argentine government, it was reported that Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein had previously committed to reviewing several points related to foreign trade and tariff barriers. Several of these requirements have been met, and work is underway on others identified by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
During his visit, Garverick also discussed trade relations with China, a country in conflict with the United States. Recently, there were tensions when it was suggested to cancel the swap with China, which generated an adverse reaction from the Asian country. Additionally, the head of U.S. Southern Command visited the naval base in Ushuaia last week, indicating the strategic interest of the United States in the region.
