The trade balance in December 2024 was a surplus in $1.666 million, while in December 2023 the result had been USD 1.018 million, official sources reported this Monday (20.01.2025/XNUMX/XNUMX).
With this result, Argentina chained thirteen months with a surplus in the trade balance.
The positive balance of last December also represents a 30,2% rise compared to the surplus achieved in the same month of the previous year.
Exports
Exports totaled USD 7.035 million in December 2024, representing a year-on-year increase of 33,4% (USD 1.762 million), as a result of an increase in the quantities exported (39,3%) that offsets the drop in prices (−4,2%).
Export values of all major countries increased items The increases in the exported quantities of MOA (36,7%) which reached USD 2.431 million. Exports also stand out Primary products (32,6%), MOI (26,4%), Fuels and energy (43,6%) and MOI (26,4%),
To level product, the increase in exports was explained, fundamentally, by higher sales of crude soybean oil, including degummed (USD 333 million); crude petroleum oils (USD 210 million); corn in grain, excluding for sowing (USD 204 million); flour and pellets from the extraction of soybean oil (USD 179 million); and gold for non-monetary use, raw forms, excluding powder, of gold alloy or gold bullion (USD 105 million), among other increases.
Argentine sales registered increases to MERCOSUR (23,4%), the United States (14,6%), the European Union (17,9%), Chile (81,1%), Aean (74,5%) and India (188%). On the other hand, decreases were observed in exports to China (-0,5%) and Peru (-1,4%).
Imports
As for imports, these totaled $5.369 million last December, representing a year-on-year increase of 26,2%, driven by a 36,9% increase in quantities, despite a 7,3% drop in prices.
The imported values corresponding to all the economic uses registered increases, except in two categories: Fuels and lubricants, which decreased by 42,9%, due to a 29,3% drop in quantities and a 19,0% drop in prices; and Intermediate goods, which fell by 2,6%. Imported quantities of passenger motor vehicles (230,9%), capital goods (84,9%) and consumer goods (53,0%) stand out.
At the level of products, the largest purchases corresponded to automobiles and passenger vehicles. The following stand out: Cylinder capacity ≤ 1.000 cm³ and spark ignition engine (USD 100 million), Cylinder capacity > 1.000 cm³ and ≤ 1.500 cm³, with capacity for up to 6 people (USD 80 million) and Cylinder capacity > 1.500 cm³ and ≤ 3.000 cm³, with capacity for up to 6 people (USD 64 million). On the other hand, there were falls in imports of: Soybeans, excluding for sowing (USD -258 million), Natural gas in gaseous state (USD -37 million).
Purchases from MERCOSUR (16,7%), the US (32%), the EU (18,4%), China (53,8%), and ASEAN (40,3%) grew, while they fell from India (-4,8%).
Year 2024
Thus, in 2024, Argentina reached a record balance of $18.899 million, the result of an increase in exports, which totaled USD 79.721 million (+19,4%), while imports amounted to USD 60.822 million (-17,5%), according to the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Indec).
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