Argentina

Sourcing risk, regulatory exposure and audit intelligence for Argentina-origin supply chains.

Forced & child labour

Not on TVPRA list for main export categories. DOL flags child labour in tobacco (Jujuy/Salta) and sugar cane. Large informal economy limits visibility in agricultural supply chains.

Worker rights & FOA

ILO C087 and C098 ratified. Strong union presence in formal sector. Informal economy (35–45% of workers) is outside formal FOA protections — a structural gap for buyer due diligence.

OHS & audit transparency

SRT (occupational risk superintendence) provides formal sector oversight. Social audit access is generally available for formal operations. Informal sector is largely unauditable.

Food & product safety

SENASA is a credible competent authority. Argentine beef, dairy, and soy exports maintain EU market access. RASFF alert rate for main categories is relatively low.

Environmental & regulatory

High EUDR exposure for soy, beef, leather, and maize — among the highest globally for these commodity categories. Farm-level geolocation systems for EUDR compliance are not yet mature across the supply chain.

Governance & anti-corruption

TI CPI 2024: 38/100 (rank ~98). Corruption documented in public procurement, customs, and regulatory processes. Business environment survey data consistently flags corruption as a constraint.

Tariff & preferential access

Suspended from EU GSP as upper-middle income country. MFN tariffs apply. EU-Mercosur Agreement (2024 political agreement) pending ratification — if concluded, would substantially improve preferential access.

Non-tariff barriers

Argentina has historically maintained restrictive import licensing that creates reciprocal trade friction. SPS requirements for food imports are functional. EUDR due diligence requirements are a significant emerging compliance burden for Argentine exporters.

Supply chain traceability

Grain and soy supply chains aggregate production from thousands of farms — farm-level traceability for EUDR is technically challenging. Beef traceability (SENASA SIGSA system) is more developed. Manufactured goods traceability is variable by sector.

Labour & Social Risk

Forced labour risk: Argentina is not listed on the US DOL ILAB TVPRA list for forced or child labour in its principal export categories. However, the DOL has flagged child labour in tobacco production (Jujuy, Salta provinces) and sugar cane harvesting. Buyers sourcing these commodities should conduct enhanced due diligence on agricultural supply chains.
Worker rights & FOA: Argentina has ratified ILO Conventions C087 and C098 (Freedom of Association and Right to Organise). The country has a highly unionised formal sector with established collective bargaining. The large informal economy (35–45% of workers) remains outside these formal protections.
OHS standards: Argentina's Superintendencia de Riesgos del Trabajo (SRT) oversees occupational health and safety. Formal sector standards and audit infrastructure are functional. The informal sector is largely outside the OHS compliance system.
ILAB status: Argentina appears on the ILAB goods list for tobacco and sugar cane. Buyers sourcing these commodities from Argentina should require traceability to the farm level and conduct enhanced social audits of agricultural supply chains.

ILAB List of Goods →

EU Regulatory Exposure

EUDR exposure — high: Argentina is among the most significantly EUDR-exposed countries globally. Soy and soy products (Argentina is the world's largest soy meal and soy oil exporter), beef and leather, and maize are all EUDR-regulated commodities with large Argentine export volumes to the EU. Due diligence statements and geolocation data will be required.
GSP status: Argentina graduated from EU GSP as an upper-middle income country. Standard MFN tariffs apply. The EU-Mercosur Association Agreement, if ratified, would fundamentally change Argentina's EU market access — providing preferential tariff rates for agricultural and manufactured goods.
EU-Mercosur Agreement: The EU-Mercosur political agreement reached in December 2024 is subject to ratification by all EU member states and Mercosur parties. If ratified, it would create one of the world's largest free trade zones — significantly improving preferential access for Argentine goods to the EU market.
Food safety: SENASA (food safety authority) is Argentina's competent authority for SPS compliance. Argentine beef, dairy, and soy products have maintained EU market access. RASFF alert rates for Argentine-origin food products are relatively low for the main export categories.

EUDR Info →

Logistics & Supply Chain

Primary export corridor: Paraná waterway (Hidrovía) → Port of Buenos Aires / Rosario → Atlantic Ocean → Strait of Gibraltar → EU ports
Key transit chokepoints: Paraná river navigation (drought-sensitive), Strait of Gibraltar
Main EU destination ports: Rotterdam, Hamburg, Barcelona, Genoa
Typical transit time: 20–25 days to Northwest Europe
Traceability challenges: Soy and grain supply chains aggregate production from many farms across the Pampas. Farm-level geolocation for EUDR compliance is technically feasible but will require significant systems development by Argentine exporters and their EU customers.

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