News of economy

What was the exchange rate when Milei came into office?

16-04-2025 16:10 Official exchange rate almost doubled from near 400 pesos to 838 pesos per greenback in the initial four days after Milei’s inauguration – now it stands closer to 1,200.

RELATIONS WITH WASHINGTON

US Treasury secretary makes flying visit – with no extra dollars

16-04-2025 14:52 Behind the scenes of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s visit to Argentina. Lunch with business leaders, Caputo and Milei meets, celebrations at the Economy Ministry and trade talks.

by Eugenia Muzio

ANALYSIS: SHOCK THERAPY

Milei risks reigniting inflation by floating Argentina’s peso

16-04-2025 12:35 Decision to ease currency controls is having an impact in the real economy. Retailers and importers are cautiously adjusting their prices as the peso weakens. And some fear it could spark inflation.

ENERGY & GAS

Vista buys Petronas’ Argentina oil stake in US$1.5-billion deal

16-04-2025 12:25 Deal all but cements exit of Malaysia’s Petronas; It’s also a sign that development of Vaca Muerta will increasingly be spearheaded by homegrown drillers.

IMF BOOSTS RESERVES

Central Bank reserves hit US$36 billion after first IMF tranche

15-04-2025 17:26 First disbursement of US$12 billion arrives from International Monetary Fund, boosting reserves; Official exchange rate rises to 1,223 pesos per dollar; Country risk falls to 725 points.

ENERGY & GAS

PAE confirms shale gas reserves in Chubut Province

15-04-2025 16:51 Pan American Energy to invest US$250 million in project to exploit shale gas findings in Cerro Dragon field, says Chubut Governor Ignacio Torres.

GEOPOLITICS & DIPLOMACY

Trump’s China trade war is forcing Latin America to pick a side

15-04-2025 14:02 Intensifying battle between world’s two largest economies has left governments grappling with the reality that their days of doing big business with Beijing without serious blowback from Washington are numbered.

US TREASURY SECRETARY

Bessent expects Argentina to be able to pay off China swap

14-04-2025 19:13 Scott Bessent hails Argentina as a free-market beacon in Latin America; US Treasury secretary said he expects Argentina to be able to pay off its swap line with China, but that US government isn’t considering providing any direct credit.

AGRICULTURE & ECONOMY

Milei tells farmers to sell soy now as peso slides 12%

14-04-2025 19:08 Farmers are starting to harvest their soy crop, worth billions of dollars in export revenues that Milei desperately needs at the Central Bank. But, so far, they have traded it at a crawl.

Foreign relations & diplomacy

US Treasury secretary offers 'full support' to Milei at Casa Rosada

14-04-2025 17:29 US Treasury Scott Bessent visits Buenos Aires for talks with Javier Milei, his economic team and private-sector representatives; Official tells President he wants Washington to be Argentina's "partner of choice".

ECONOMIC CHANGES

Peso slides, bonds jump after FX rules lifted

14-04-2025 13:46 Argentina’s sovereign debt climbed Monday while the peso slipped after the country lifted most of its currency-market restrictions.

ECONOMY – ANALYSIS

IMF bets billions on Milei’s chainsaw to avert past debacles

13-04-2025 08:50 Frontloading disbursements is a controversial move that increases the IMF’s exposure to its biggest debtor, just as Milei faces the same policy dilemmas that have doomed his predecessors.

ARGENTINA & THE IMF

Another IMF loan: for Argentina, it’s Groundhog Day

12-04-2025 15:24 Generations of Argentines feel their country is trapped in a recurring cycle: yet another loan from the International Monetary Fund to rescue a volatile economy.

POLITICS – ANALYSIS

Milei gains 'breathing room' from his ties with Trump

12-04-2025 11:54 The support President Milei has garnered from the Trump administration stands in stark contrast to the mounting challenges on the home front.

by Pablo Varela

IMF DEBT PROGRAMME

Argentina and the International Monetary Fund: A long, tricky history

12-04-2025 09:29 Argentina, which has a track record of economic crises and hyperinflation, is already the IMF's biggest debtor, ahead even of war-torn Ukraine.

Global politics – Analysis

Trump, Milei and how to lose the trust of markets and voters

12-04-2025 05:37 Trump stepped back from the edge, at least momentarily, even though he is keeping his finger on the trigger.

by Agustino Fontevecchia

Analysing Argentina

Careful Javier, the ‘caste’ smells blood

12-04-2025 05:29 Legislators who had until now been cooperative or aloof toward confrontation with Milei are changing their tune, in line with what they hear from their constituencies.

by Marcelo J. García

Editorial

Into More Frustrations

12-04-2025 05:06 A Ruby Tuesday for President Javier Milei while the world at large is in an acute age of uncertainty thanks to Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught.

POLITICS – ANALYSIS

Milei launches new economic phase, with nod to middle class

11-04-2025 23:56 Casa Rosada expresses satisfaction as alignment with Trump bears fruit and secures an unprecedented initial disbursement from the International Monetary Fund.

ECONOMIC CHANGES

Milei ends 'cepo' as IMF board approves US$20-billion bailout

11-04-2025 23:32 Milei declares "cepo is gone for good" as IMF unlocks US$12 billion in immediate funding and Argentina lifts capital controls in 48-month US$20-billion programme.

FIN DE CEPO?

Caputo announces new IMF deal, end to exchange controls

11-04-2025 18:45 President Javier Milei's government announces elimination of foreign exchange controls ahead of confirmation of new US$20-billion IMF programme.

ECONOMY – ANALYSIS

Argentina lands US$20-billion IMF agreement and eases FX rules

11-04-2025 18:30 Central Bank says it will let peso trade within a range of 1,000 pesos to 1,4000 pesos per dollar in what’s called a dirty or managed float.

ECONOMY & POLITICS

'Chau cepo?': Argentina overhauls exchange rate access

11-04-2025 18:27 President Javier Milei’s government to lift capital and currency controls as of Monday, with exchange rate of between 1,000 and 1,4,00 per greenback; ‘Phase Three’ of economic programme will see monthly cap lifted for individuals and firms.

CURRENCY WARS

Argentina's Central Bank sells up to US$400 million to defend peso

11-04-2025 17:32 Argentina's Central Bank sold as much as US$400 million to defend the peso on Friday – the most in a day since mid-March.

MERCOSUR SUMMIT

Mercosur to expand common tariff exemptions as trade war rages

11-04-2025 17:30 Mercosur countries have decided to relax common external tariffs on 50 products of the choice of each of its members, giving them more flexibility to negotiate deals.

ECONOMY – ANALYSIS

Argentina inflation picks up more than expected before IMF deal

11-04-2025 17:28 President Javier Milei said recently he only expects inflation to fall below two percent in May or June, blaming the sticky inflation on political volatility.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

INDEC reveals uptick in inflation: Prices up 3.7% in March

11-04-2025 16:25 Inflation soared in March, accelerating to 3.7% – a second straight monthly rise; Consumer prices up 55.9% over the past 12 months, by 8.6% so far this year.

EURO TRADE PLANS

EU races to expand two-trillion-euro trade network as US links sour

11-04-2025 13:49 The European Union is racing to clinch trade deals with countries around the world in an effort to diversify away from an increasingly protectionist United States.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Brazil’s inflation hits two-year high amid rate hike debate

11-04-2025 11:26 Brazil’s annual inflation rate at its highest level in two years.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

Trump’s tariffs may speed EU–Mercosur deal, says Orsi

11-04-2025 10:09 Uruguay’s president sees US protectionism pushing Europe to compromise on stalled trade pact

GLOBAL TRADE WAR

Trump stuns with tariff backtrack

10-04-2025 19:26 US President Donald Trump upends global markets and trade by U-turning on proposed tariffs; Benefit for Argentina is only temporarily, unless new deal reached.

US-ARGENTINA RELATIONS

US Treasury secretary offers 'full support' to Milei ahead of visit

10-04-2025 17:26 In a show of support for President Javier Milei's "bold economic reforms," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will travel to Buenos Aires next week for meetings with government officials and business leaders.

CURRENCY SWAP

Argentina renews part of China swap ahead of Bessent visit

10-04-2025 17:13 Argentina renews a portion of its US$18-billion currency swap line with China; Activated part being extended for another 12 months amounts to US$5 billion.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

EU offers timeline for final Mercosur deal proposal

10-04-2025 14:28 Top EU spokesperson says he wants to present a proposal for sweeping free-trade agreement before “end of summer,” with legal review ongoing.

ECONOMY – ANALYSIS

IMF deal fine print could disrupt China swap renewal

10-04-2025 05:36 In June, the grace period China granted Javier Milei expires. Washington is already pressuring Buenos Aires over the currency swap, with US$6.5 billion remaining frozen.

by Eugenia Muzio

Foreign policy & diplomacy

Milei hails shared values during talks with Paraguay’s Peña

09-04-2025 21:32 President met up with his Paraguayan counterpart, holding various meetings in Asunción during brief overseas trip.

BLOOMBERG - ANALYSIS

Milei needs rush of soy dollars to calm peso sell-off in Argentina

09-04-2025 17:42 Like his predecessors, President Javier Milei is depending on the soy harvest to manage one of the word’s most volatile currencies.

TRUMP'S TARIFF WAR

Strength in numbers: Latin America urges unity in face of Trump tariffs

09-04-2025 17:38 Latin American leaders at CELAC summit in Honduras call for a united front to tackle US President Donald Trump's tariff onslaught.

BUSINESS & INVESTMENT

Mercado Libre to invest US$2.6 billion in Argentina this year

09-04-2025 17:31 US$2.6-billion investment marks a 53% increase on last year’s figure and forms part of a wider regional expansion drive.

GLOBAL TRADE WAR

Trump pauses tariffs for 90 days but hits China harder

09-04-2025 17:00 In the midst of Donald Trump's rising tariffs he has called for quite a radical shift within his global trade war, which will affect many countries.

TRADE TALKS

Argentina in talks with US to cut tariffs, says Trump official

09-04-2025 11:40 US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says Argentina and others may ease trade restrictions to align with Trump’s policy.

NEW IMF PROGRAMME

Milei nears US$20-billion Argentina loan as IMF staff sign off

09-04-2025 08:49 Members of the Washington-based lender’s executive board are expected to vote on the agreement Friday.

NEW IMF PROGRAMME

IMF confirms preliminary agreement with Argentina for US$20-billion loan

09-04-2025 08:33 Multilateral lender says it has reached a staff-level agreement with President Milei's government on a new 48-month US$20-billion programme, subject to approval by executive board.

Foreign policy & diplomacy

Uruguay's Orsi calls for Latin American unity in face of economic uncertainty

08-04-2025 17:23 Uruguay's left-wing President Yamandú Orsi calls for regional integration in the face of economic uncertainty from the United States.

GEOPOLITICAL ROW

Milei caught in Trump-China spat over US$18-billion FX swap line

08-04-2025 16:47 Javier Milei is caught between US President Donald Trump and China’s communist government.

BLOOMBERG - FEATURE

Milei tries erasing Argentina’s history to lure foreign investment

08-04-2025 09:04 Argentina’s president is desperate to woo foreign investors. But he's had more success tearing down physical symbols of the old guard than untangling the web of red tape it left behind.

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Milei's private dinners, cash and political transparency

07-04-2025 11:09 What's at stake in a US$20,000-steaks case...

Interview

Brazilian ambassador: Lula-Milei differences have 'minimal effect on bilateral relations’

05-04-2025 06:34 Brazil’s Ambassador to Argentina on managing bilateral relations, despite the enmity between Javier Milei and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Julio Bitelli on Jair Bolsonaro’s trial, the Malvinas issue, the flirtation between Argentina and the United States, the trade imbalance and the importance of Vaca Muerta.

by Cecilia Degl'Innocenti