Economist Juan Carlos Hallak reviewed a 2025 report from the Faculty of Economic Sciences on Argentina's export profile, stressing the need to boost goods with higher added value beyond commodities. The study shows that differentiated exports grew nearly 10% in 2025 compared to 2024, though it remains an early advance.
In an interview with Canal E, Juan Carlos Hallak, an economist from the Faculty of Economic Sciences, presented findings from a report based on INDEC data but using an alternative classification. Instead of dividing exports into primary goods, manufactures, and fuels, the study differentiates between differentiated and non-differentiated goods. "Differentiated goods are those that are not commodities; they have differentiation," Hallak explained.
The report indicates that in 2025, exports of differentiated goods rose nearly 10% compared to 2024, which Hallak called a "reasonably good performance," though still incipient. He highlighted the strategic importance of this segment: "With natural resources alone, it's not enough. Then, we have to develop everything else."
On the automotive industry, Hallak attributed the export decline to temporary factors, as trade focuses on Brazil rather than the United States. He noted changes in Brazil, such as electric car production, which could alter the current trade scheme. In mining, exports grew due to higher gold prices and increased lithium sales, but remain primary products without significant value-added projects. "Lithium is indeed being exported more, but it's primary lithium," he specified.
Hallak expressed no concern over the lack of industrialization in lithium or minerals, instead urging value addition to crops like corn and soy. Argentina already exports differentiated goods such as valves, steel cables, fortified dairy products, and cheeses. He dismissed fears about impacts on domestic supply, arguing that the local market offers better margins and that international prices are market-determined. For the economist, the challenge is to use rents from natural resources to invest in infrastructure, innovation, and trade promotion.
