Argentina Lifts the Ban on Live Cattle Exports

On February 26, the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Ministry of Economy of Argentina issued Decree No. 133. The decree states that the Argentine government will promote and ensure the establishment of an economic system based on free decision-making across the country. In an environment of free competition, it will respect private property and constitutional principles, ensure the free flow of goods, services and labor, and ensure that Argentina is better integrated into global trade.

The Ministry of Economy of Argentina pointed out in an official statement: "The export of live cattle is not only a considerable source of foreign exchange, but also promotes our country's actions in the improvement of livestock breeds and enhances the reputation of national livestock production. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage its free development. Through this measure, we have lifted a regulation that has a history of half a century and was formulated in a completely different context, thus bringing greater competitiveness and market freedom to the live cattle production and beef industry chain."

Some industry insiders believe that in the short term, Argentina's liberalization of live cattle exports will have a limited impact on the market. The export scale may be concentrated only in some specific categories such as calves and castrated calves. However, this policy may still intensify the competition for Argentina's live cattle resources and further weaken its competitiveness in beef exports.