a leap in Milei’s surrender to imperialism

In Argentina, we residents found out from a statement from the United States government (White House). There, the signing of an agreement is announced Framework for an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and Investment with Argentina. Both countries are committed to opening their markets in “key areas”, although in the letter of the published text it is much more about Argentina opening its borders to North American products than the “commitments” assumed by the latter. A reversal of the Roca-Runcimann Pact of 1933?

The White House statement expresses that the supposed “strategic alliance” reaffirmed by the presidents Donald J. Trump and Javier Milei is based “on shared democratic values ​​and a common vision of free enterprise, private initiative and open markets”, and that the agreement “seeks to boost long-term growth, expand opportunities and create a transparent, rules-based environment for trade and innovation.”

The disseminated points of the agreement sealed between Milei and Trump arrive just weeks after the latter’s phenomenal political rescue of the Argentine president through direct North American intervention in the exchange market to sustain the price of the dollar for more than US$2,000 million, a swap of coins for US$ 20,000 million (of which the conditions of use or details are not known), tweets of all kinds from the North American Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessantand various announcements of shields and participation of international banks in financial operations. Milei advances with surrenderist agreements against North American imperialism.

Keys to the agreement

According to the official website of the White House, among the aspects agreed upon by both presidents (without debate or prior consultation), it stands out that Argentina will allow the entry of live cattle and, in one year, poultry, and “has agreed not to restrict market access for products that use certain denominations for cheeses and meats.” Likewise, the entry of medicines, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles and “a wide range of agricultural products” is mentioned. It is worth mentioning that Argentina is a competitor of the United States in its key agricultural exports such as soybeans or meat.

These are the central points included in the agreement:

• Duty: “Argentina will grant preferential access to US markets for exports of goods, including certain medicines, chemicals, machinery, information technology products, medical devices, motor vehicles and a wide range of agricultural products.”
  But the United States will only “eliminate reciprocal tariffs on some unavailable natural resources and unpatented articles for pharmaceutical use.”
  “Likewise, the countries have committed to improving the conditions of bilateral and reciprocal access to beef markets.”

-* Elimination of non-tariff barriers: “Argentina has dismantled numerous non-tariff barriers that restricted access to its market, including import licenses, thus ensuring more equitable conditions for international trade. With this Agreement, it has committed to not require consular formalities for US exports to Argentina. In addition, Argentina will gradually eliminate the statistical tax on US products.”

• Standards and conformity assessment: “Argentina is aligning with international standards in various sectors to facilitate trade. Argentina will allow the entry of US products that comply with applicable US or international standards, US technical regulations or US or international conformity assessment procedures, no additional conformity assessment requirementsand will continue to eliminate non-tariff barriers that affect trade in priority areas. Argentina will accept the import of vehicles manufactured in the United States that comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and U.S. emissions standards, and will accept U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certificates and prior marketing authorizations for medical devices and pharmaceutical products.”

• Intellectual property: “Argentina has taken action against a significant and notorious regional market for counterfeit goods and will continue to strengthen anti-counterfeiting and piracy law enforcement, including in the digital environment. Additionally, Argentina is committed to addressing the structural challenges outlined in the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s 2025 Special Report 301, including patentability criteria, patent processing delays and geographical indicationsas well as to work to harmonize their intellectual property regime with international standards. “

• Access to agricultural markets: “Argentina has opened its market to live cattle American, has committed to allow market access for US poultry within one year and has agreed not to restrict market access for products using certain names for cheeses and meats. Argentina will simplify product registration processes for U.S. beef, meat products, organ meats, and pork products, and will not require facility registration for imports of U.S. dairy products. “The United States and Argentina intend to collaborate to address non-tariff barriers that affect trade in food and agricultural products.”

-* Job: “Argentina has reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of internationally recognized labor rights. In addition, it will adopt and implement a ban on the importation of goods produced through forced or compulsory labor and will strengthen the application of labor legislation.”

• Environment: “Argentina is committed to adopting measures to further combat illegal logging; foster a more resource-efficient economy, including in the critical minerals sector; and fully implement the obligations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.”

• Alignment on economic security: “Argentina will intensify cooperation with the United States to combat the non-trade policies and practices of other countries. Both countries have also committed to identifying instruments to harmonize their approaches to export control, investment security, tariff evasion and other important issues.”

-* Business considerations and opportunities: “Argentina and the United States will cooperate to facilitate investment and trade in critical minerals. Both countries also agreed to work to stabilize global soybean trade.

-* Address state companies and subsidies: “Argentina has committed to Address potential distorting actions of state-owned enterprises and industrial subsidies that may have an impact on the bilateral trade relationship”.

-* Digital commerce: “Argentina has committed to facilitate digital trade with the United States by recognizing the latter as an appropriate jurisdictionin accordance with Argentine law, for the cross-border transfer of data, including personal data, and refraining from discriminating against US digital services or products. Argentina also proposes recognize as valid, under its law, electronic signatures that are valid under US law.”

A submission agreement

Javier Miley He celebrated the dissemination of the agreement by the United States government (which was not formally made official in Argentina) and ironically stated, from an event in the city of Corrientes, “it seems that the trips were paying off a little.” For the North Americans, the “bailouts” to their government after having failed not once, but twice in less than six months (bailout from the IMF in April and from the US in October), are paying off with Argentina’s loyalty in the form of the surrender of sovereignty.

According to the new chancellor, Pablo Quirno (former Secretary of the Treasury), the agreement “creates the conditions to increase US investments in Argentina” and highlighted that the understanding includes “a reduction in tariffs for key industries.” However, for the moment the text signed by both countries has not come to light, and the statement does not clearly express what the “benefits” for Argentina would be.

It is very clear, however, that the United States is opening up the few barriers that still exist for the entry of its products. As point out Martín Schorr and Lucía Ortega“The free trade agreement constitutes a bet that, if it comes to fruition, It would be very detrimental to our country.: it is enough to keep in mind the extremely deleterious effects for Mexico of its free trade agreement with the United States, for example in techno-productive, labor, salary, and distribution matters (Ruiz Nápoles, 2021). And that ignores a conclusive fact: the China’s growing centrality in foreign trade with Latin American countries, with the majority of which it maintains relations of complementarity and not competition given the prevailing profiles of specialization and international insertion”.

In fact, between 2003 and 2023, China’s share of imports went from 2.4% to 21.7%, while the US share barely grew from 7.6% to 12.9%. While Argentine exports to the US went from 10.5% to 8.5%. Mainly shipments consist of fuels (35%), minerals (12%) and Aluminum and manufactures (8.2%).

Argentina has a sustained trade deficit against the United States, according to an Analytica report. Between 2014 and 2023, the negative balance averaged US$3,666 million annually.