Argentina’s Ambassador to the United States, Alec Oxenford, stated on Monday that a trade agreement between the two nations “is practically finalized” and that the announcement is imminent. The diplomat indicated that the negotiations involving Presidents Javier Milei and Donald Trump are supported by the US Treasury. “There will be news very soon,” he stated. Nevertheless, he provided no specifics, asserting that he was constrained by a confidentiality agreement. He stated that the agreement would yield a “positive impact for a long time” on the bilateral relationship between the two nations. “Now it’s a matter of finding the right moment for the parties to tie up the loose ends and make the announcement,” Oxenford stated in an interview. “The truth is that with these kinds of high-impact issues, sometimes one must await the opportune moment,” he added.
In April, following a meeting with United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Milei declared that Argentina was “ready to sign a trade agreement” with the U.S. Trump indicated that his administration would contemplate signing such an agreement. In October, as part of a US bailout to Argentina, the Central Bank and the US Treasury announced a currency swap amounting to US$20 billion. Nevertheless, there has been no confirmation from any of the administrations regarding its activation status. The discussions have been characterized by mutual strategic interest, reflecting both economic and political alignment between Washington and Buenos Aires. Analysts suggest that a finalized deal could expand Argentina’s access to U.S. markets while deepening fiscal cooperation between the two economies.
A robust relationship, albeit with occasional challenges. The relationship between the two nations has solidified, attributed to the ideological alignment between Milei and Trump, though certain analysts interpret this as Argentina placing itself under a “neocolonial order.” During a press conference on Monday, Christopher Landau stated that he had a meeting with Milei in Bolivia, coinciding with the inauguration of President Rodrigo Paz Pereira. “Clearly, Argentina has long been a significant leader in the region,” he stated. “We’ve observed this trend over the past several decades, yet we regard President Milei as a prominent figure in the hemisphere.” This perception underscores Argentina’s renewed prominence in hemispheric diplomacy amid shifting geopolitical alliances in South America.
This does not imply that there have not been certain setbacks. In the previous month, the United States government announced an increase in beef imports from Argentina. Nevertheless, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollings minimized the likelihood, asserting that the purchases would “not be much” because of a “foot and mouth disease issue” purportedly impacting Argentine beef. In September, the Argentine government made the decision to reduce vaccination efforts against foot and mouth disease in calves and to a lesser extent in adult animals beginning in 2026, resulting in a cost saving of US$25 million for farmers. Despite these agricultural and sanitary challenges, the momentum toward finalizing the trade deal remains strong, symbolizing a potential milestone in Argentina–U.S. relations and marking a new chapter of cooperation shaped by shared economic priorities and political alignment.