China Opens Soymeal Market to Argentina, the World’s Top Exporter

After years of trying on Argentina’s part, the country has successfully signed a pact with China in Buenos Aires that would allow the import of soymeal for livestock feed for the first time.

This agreement, which Gustavo Idigoras, president of Argentina’s CIARA-CEC chamber of grains exporting companies has called “a historic agreement”, links the top soymeal exporting country in the world with the top global consumer.

For years China had resisted entering into such an agreement with Argentina, wanting to protect its own crushing industry. However, the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China has given Argentina a measure of leverage.

Argentina’s large-scale crushing plants line the Parana River near the country’s grain hub of Rosario. The country is the top exporter of processed soy, and is expected to ship a total of 26 million tons this year. Historically, China has imported only small volumes of soymeal, and none of it originating from Argentina.

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