Argentine Agricultural Leaders Demand Elimination of Export Duties at Expoagro

Leaders of the agricultural sector raised their voices again and set the agenda, in something they do not consider forgotten. The Claims Andrea Sarnari, president of the Argentine Agrarian Federation (FAA), stated that from her organization, they will continue to insist and mentioned a tax reduction for the sector. 'Expoagro is a showcase that shows much of what is done in the field, especially in the industry and in the technology that producers use. And that path has begun to be traveled, although there is still a long way to go, and we will continue to insist, mainly, on the elimination of export duties.' Meanwhile, the president of Argentine Rural Confederations (CRA), Carlos Castagnani, called for better infrastructure, accompanied by a reduction in production costs. 'There are taxes that are absurd, such as the Check Tax; there are provincial and municipal taxes that are as strong as the national ones. It was born with a focus on agriculture, but today it clearly transcends the sector's borders and is increasingly cosmopolitan,' noted Martín Schvartzman, CEO of Exponenciar. The event included more than 700 exhibitors, 7 auditoriums operating simultaneously, more than 170,000 heads of cattle auctioned off by 11 consignment houses, 367 business meetings, 12 plots with standing crops, and international presence, as reported by the Argentine News Agency. The focus was on the sale of agricultural machinery and the financing options offered by various banks. This was the case with Nación and Provincia, which surprised everyone by announcing zero-dollar interest rate credit lines for both new and working capital. For the first, the peso rate was set at a fixed 19%; the second, in turn, starts at rates of 22.5% with a 48-month term. Thus, Provincia—who was the main sponsor of the event—received credit requests for over $531,000 billion and $738 million. Among other banks were Banco Galicia (over $150,000 billion), ICBC ($63.500 billion), Credicoop ($55,000 billion and $31 million), and Patagonia ($12 million). In total, $10,000 billion in credit requests were processed among the 12 financial institutions participating in the 'National Capital of Agribusiness.' However, and despite being excellent news for the sector, it lost some prominence to the persistent claim to remove export duties. This shows that Expoagro continues to grow. The twentieth edition of Expoagro 2026 set records and presented a range of new opportunities, although in this context the sector repeated its historical demand: to completely eliminate the Export Rights (DEX). The San Nicolás racetrack hosted an attendance that grew day by day: from Tuesday to Friday, the public increased to over 250,000 visitors, surpassing the 2025 edition. 'The staging of this edition was truly extraordinary. And of course, we have not forgotten our historical claim.' For him, completely eliminating export duties is a 'necessity' for the sector, and in that line, he challenged the government: 'What happens the day there are no more export duties? We will see how much time we have lost and how much damage we have done to production and the country.' Not only agricultural leaders but also provincial authorities expressed their desire to definitively end the DEX. The Vice Governor of Córdoba, Myrian Prunotto, refreshed the request to the Government and highlighted that her province will contribute this year $2,500 billion to the national treasury for this concept. The Governor of the Province of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, also marked his position: 'We are waiting because it is a very bizarre situation worldwide, in the context that international prices, to the rhythm of war conflicts and geopolitics, are moving.' As every year, the mega-field show had the participation of different national political actors and leaders, among whom governors, officials, and legislators from all spaces stood out. From the national Government, Vice President Victoria Villarruel; the Minister of the Interior, Diego Santilli; the Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Sergio Iraeta; and the Secretary of Finance, Federico Furiase were present. Regarding provincial authorities, Axel Kicillof (Province of Buenos Aires), Maximiliano Pullaro (Santa Fe), Sergio Ziliotto (La Pampa), Rogelio Frigerio (Entre Ríos), Jorge Macri (Head of Government of Buenos Aires City), and Vice Governors Antonio Marocco (Salta) and Myrian Prunotto (Córdoba) participated. It also had the attendance of various senators—including 'Wado' De Pedro (UxP) and Patricia Bullrich (LLA)—and deputies such as Miguel Ángel Pichetto, Victoria Tolosa Paz, and Esteban Paulón, among the most recognized. Former President Mauricio Macri and former Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos were also present at the twentieth edition of Expoagro, as were various mayors and legislators from Buenos Aires. Absences Compared to the previous edition, the main absence was marked by the absence of President Javier Milei. We have to achieve, as an entity, to have dialogue with all instances. Meanwhile, the Minister of Security, Alejandra Monteoliva, had to cancel her presence at the agricultural fair due to problems with her schedule. What surprised me the most was the enormous attendance of the public and the climate that was lived during the entire exhibition: everyone was happy and highlighted the experience. There are several pending accounts, but especially I believe that something that the Secretary of Agriculture (Sergio Iraeta) said in his opening: it is necessary to lower the tax pressure to make primary productive economies profitable. The president was not present due to his participation in the 'Argentina Week' and his lightning trip to Spain. Another official from the Executive Branch who did not participate was the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, as he accompanied the Head of State to the United States.