Argentina's imports increased by 31,7% in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to the analysis prepared by the Center for Research in Export and International Business (CIEN), directed by Gustavo Scarpetta.
Leading products
The ranking of the ten most imported products continues to be headed by the cars, which represented 7,6% of the total (USD 2.693 billion). They are followed by auto parts (4,5%), the petroleum oil (3,6%) and the Paraguayan soybean, which maintains its historic place in the top 5 with 3,2% of external purchases. Other notable products include petroleum gas, cell phones, trucks, tractors, immunological products and fertilizers, which together represent approximately one-third of the country's total imports.
Greater growth
The analysis of the products that more grew percentage-wise yields surprising results. Firstly, it is located soy oil, with purchases for USD 56,6 million, and secondly the Soybean flour (USD 40,9 million), both from Paraguay and practically non-existent in 2024.
Third and fourth place are occupied by white goods, with a sharp increase: washing machines (+5.041%) y refrigerators (+1.055%), with external purchases of USD 65,7 and 102,8 million respectively.
Completing the top ten for growth are frozen pork (+651%), road tractors (+357%), PET (+320%), diesel trucks (+271%), mechanical shovels (+260%) and again the cars, which in addition to leading by amount, grew by 203% year-on-year.
In later positions are various products such as trucks, coffee, footwear, computers and batteries, reflecting a greater diversification of the import basket.
Continuity or change?
The 2025 outlook reflects a combination of continuity and change: on the one hand, the structural dependence of cars, auto parts and energy remains stable; on the other hand, boom in the soybean, household appliances and capital goods complex shows an upturn in durable consumption and productive investment.
According to the CIEN study, this pattern suggests that Argentina is trying satisfy domestic demand and modernize productive sectors, while strengthening regional integration with suppliers like Paraguay. The central challenge will be balancing these needs with the competitiveness of the national industry and the management of foreign trade.
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