Economy Type
**Agriculture, Resource & Energy Economy
(Agriculture, Resources, and Energy Economy)**
Argentina is classified as an Agriculture, Resource & Energy Economy country.
This is because the country possesses a world-class agricultural and livestock production base and export capabilities for soybeans, corn, wheat, and beef, while energy and mineral resources such as Vaca Muerta's shale oil and gas, lithium, copper, and gold are expanding as future growth axes.
The IMF forecasts that Argentina's economy will contract by 1.3% in 2024, grow by 4.4% in 2025, and grow by approximately 3.5% in 2026. Consumer price inflation is projected to fall to about 25% by the end of 2026, but remains at a high level.
Country Definition
Argentina is a representative resource, food, and energy country in South America, possessing global agri-food production capabilities as well as shale energy, lithium, and copper resources.
Why It Matters
Argentina has the second-largest land area in South America after Brazil and a population of about 48 million, and possesses the Pampas agricultural region, the Andes mineral belt, and Patagonia energy resources.
In particular, unconventional oil and gas production in Vaca Muerta is expanding alongside the export of agricultural products such as soybeans, corn, wheat, and beef, and the northwestern region forms a key area of the global lithium supply chain together with Chile and Bolivia.
In 2024, merchandise exports amounted to approximately $79.7 billion, and major export items included corn, soybean meal, crude oil, soybean oil, wheat, beef, and gold.
Korea Perspective
For South Korea, Argentina is a strategic South American resource country that can simultaneously secure supply chains for lithium, copper, energy, grain, feed, and food .
In particular, long-term cooperation is possible in the fields of lithium for batteries, copper for electric vehicles and power grids, shale gas and LNG, and grain and feed.
Korean companies can expand cooperation in the fields of mining development, battery materials, energy plants, LNG, agri-food processing, smart agriculture, and railway, port, and power infrastructure.
Key Keywords
- Agriculture
- Soybean
- Corn
- Beef
- Lithium
- Copper
- Vaca Muerta
- Shale Oil & Gas
- Renewable Energy
- Mercosur
Argentina is located in southern South America and shares borders with Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, and Uruguay.
The capital, Buenos Aires, is the center of finance, administration, consumption, and services; the Pampas region is the hub of agriculture and livestock; Neuquén is for shale oil and gas; Jujuy, Salta, and Catamarca are for lithium; and the Andes region is a key area for mining, including copper and gold.
It is a federal republic composed of 23 provinces and the autonomous city of Buenos Aires. Since the provincial government plays a significant role in mineral resource management and licensing, the relationship with the relevant provincial government, as well as the central government, is important in resource development projects.
Key Features
- Major South American economies
- vast agricultural production base
- Global grain and soybean exporting country
- Large-scale shale oil and gas resources
- Global lithium suppliers
- Expanding the potential for copper development
- high urbanization rate
- Education and technical workforce base
- Experience of repeated foreign exchange and price instability
- Policy and exchange rate volatility
The Argentine economy has a relatively diversified economic structure combining agriculture, livestock farming, manufacturing, energy, mining, finance, distribution, and services.
Since the end of 2023, strong fiscal and monetary stabilization policies have been implemented, leading to improvements in the fiscal balance and a slowdown in inflation. According to the IMF, real GDP grew by 4.4% in 2025, and the growth rate is projected to be 3.5% in 2026. The inflation rate is expected to fall to 31.5% by the end of 2025 and to 25% by the end of 2026.
The World Bank also forecasts a growth rate of about 3.6% in 2026, assessing that macroeconomic stability and investment in the energy and agriculture sectors will support growth.
However, expanding foreign exchange reserves, addressing high inflation, recovering income and employment, and stabilizing the exchange rate system and policy continuity remain key challenges.
Market characteristics
- Domestic market of approximately 48 million people
- high urbanization rate
- Major consumer markets in Latin America
- Agriculture, resource, and manufacturing base
- Expansion of investment in energy and mining
- Experience of high inflation
- Foreign exchange and exchange rate volatility
- Significant impact from policy changes
- High financial costs
- Structural reform in progress
MarketHub Point
Although Argentina faces a significant risk of economic instability, it is a market with high potential where investment in agriculture, energy, and minerals can expand simultaneously once stabilization is established.
Argentina's agriculture is globally competitive. Major products and exports include soybeans, corn, wheat, sunflowers, beef, and wine.
In the energy sector , Vaca Muerta in the Neuquén Basin is key. With the increase in shale oil and gas production, there is a growing possibility of reducing dependence on energy imports and transitioning into a crude oil and gas exporting nation in the future.
In the mining sector, lithium is the fastest-growing, with numerous projects underway centered around the salt lakes of the Jujuy, Salta, and Catamarca regions. For copper, the potential of future development projects is more important than the current scale of production.
The World Bank assesses Argentina as a country with high growth potential not only in agriculture and livestock but also in energy, renewable energy, and high-tech industries.
Key industries
- Soybeans and grains
- Livestock and beef
- food processing
- automobile
- Oil and gas
- lithium
- Copper and gold
- petrochemicals
- renewable energy
- Software and Knowledge Services
- Wine and Tourism
Key resources
- Fertile Pampas farmland
- Shale oil
- Shale gas
- lithium
- copper
- Gold and silver
- wind resources
- solar energy resources
- hydroelectric resources
- fishery resources
MarketHub Point
Argentina's core competitive advantage is its ability to simultaneously supply food, energy, and battery minerals.
Argentina's major exports are agricultural products, food, crude oil, gold, and automobile-related products.
According to the WTO, merchandise exports in 2024 amounted to approximately $79.7 billion, and merchandise imports to approximately $60.8 billion. Major export markets are Brazil, the EU, the US, Chile, and China, while imports are concentrated in Brazil, China, the EU, and the US.
Trade with Brazil is particularly important in the trade of automobiles, parts, and industrial goods, centered on the MERCOSUR supply chain.
Port logistics rely on Buenos Aires and the Rosario–Parana waterway, and agricultural exports are affected by the water level of the Paraná River and port infrastructure.
major trading partners
- brazil
- china
- European Union
- USA
- Chile
- India
- vietnam
- Uruguay
- Paraguay
- Mexico
Supply chain characteristics
- High proportion of agricultural product exports
- Brazil manufacturing supply chain linkage
- Chinese demand for minerals and agricultural products is important
- dependence on Paraná River water transport
- Inland logistics burden in mining areas
- Andean border logistics are important
- Exchange rate policy has a significant impact
- Possibility of changes in import regulations
- Foreign exchange settlement risk
- Possibility of expanding energy exports
MarketHub Point
The key aspect of Argentina's supply chain is that new export axes for energy, lithium, and copper are being added to the existing agricultural export structure.
Although Argentina has high short-term economic volatility, it is a market with high long-term investment value in the resource, energy, and food sectors.
In the lithium and copper sectors, there is a possibility that demand for mining development, refining and processing, power supply, desalination and water treatment, construction equipment, and logistics infrastructure will expand.
At Vaca Muerta, the main areas of cooperation are drilling equipment, pipelines, compressors, valves, LNG, petrochemicals, and environmental management technology.
In agriculture, cooperation is possible in smart farming, seeds, agricultural machinery, storage and logistics, food processing, and long-term purchasing of agricultural products.
Market characteristics
- Local partners are important
- Distinction between federal and state government permits
- Focus on long-term investment projects
- Caution regarding exchange rates and foreign exchange management
- Need to monitor policy changes
- Local procurement and financial conditions are important
- Technology and maintenance competitiveness needed
- MERCOSUR market linkage possible
Key Opportunities
- Lithium development and processing
- Copper Project
- Shale oil and gas
- LNG pipeline
- renewable energy
- Agricultural products and feed
- food processing
- Smart farming
- mining equipment
- Power Grid · ESS
- water treatment
- Automobiles and parts
Major Risks
- high inflation
- Exchange rate fluctuations
- Risk of foreign exchange reserve shortage
- policy change
- Tax and regulatory changes
- Country risk premium
- social conflict
- Differences in systems by state government
- Infrastructure bottleneck
- Drought and climate change
If stabilization policies continue, the Argentine economy is likely to maintain a growth rate in the mid-3% range by 2026.
The IMF forecasts a growth rate of 3.5% in 2026, expecting private investment and exports of energy, mining, and agriculture to support growth. In the medium term, it suggests the possibility of converging to growth of around 3% through increased productivity and capital investment.
The World Bank also set the promotion of private investment, macro-fiscal stability, and infrastructure and job creation as key pillars in its 2026–2033 national cooperation strategy.
The most important change in the medium to long term is the expansion of the structure from an agriculture-centered exporting country to a food + energy + strategic mineral exporting country .
Changes to Watch Out For in the Future
- Inflation stability
- foreign exchange reserves recovery
- Exchange rate system reform
- Maintaining fiscal balance
- Expansion of Vaca Muerta production
- LNG export infrastructure
- Increase in lithium production
- Large copper mine development
- Agricultural export recovery
- Expansion of renewable energy
- Increase in foreign investment
- Continuity of structural reform
Market Position
Global Food Power + Lithium & Emerging Energy Resource Hub
A key South American resource country where lithium, copper, and shale energy are combined with a global agri-food production base
Key Opportunities
- lithium
- copper
- Shale oil and gas
- LNG
- Grains and feed
- food processing
- Smart farming
- mining equipment
- Electricity and ESS
- renewable energy
Recommended Strategy
Secure
Secure long-term supply chains for lithium, copper, grain, and energy.
↓
Invest
Selectively participate in mining, energy, processing, and logistics projects.
↓
Diversify
Expanding from simple resource purchasing to local processing, infrastructure, and technology cooperation.
Final Assessment
Argentina is a key strategic country in South America that enables South Korea to simultaneously diversify its food, battery mineral, and energy supply chains.
Scope of investigation
This material was compiled through a cross-review focusing on international organizations, the Argentine government, and data regarding trade, energy, minerals, and agriculture.
international organizations
- International Monetary Fund
- World Bank
- World Trade Organization
- Inter-American Development Bank
- UNCTAD
- FAO
- International Energy Agency
Government and public institutions
- Government of Argentina
- INDEC
- Central Bank of Argentina
- Ministry of Economy
- Secretariat of Energy
- Secretariat of Mining
- KOTRA
- Korea Export-Import Bank Overseas Economic Research Institute
Key research data
- IMF Argentina 2026 Article IV Consultation
- IMF Argentina 2026 Extended Fund Facility Review
- World Bank Argentina Country Overview
- World Bank Argentina Country Partnership Framework 2026–2033
- WTO Argentina Trade Profile
- Official data on Argentina's energy, mining, and agriculture
- Lithium, Copper, and Vaca Muerta Project Data
Writing Verification
This document was prepared in accordance with the following principles.
- Reflecting the latest IMF, World Bank, and WTO data for 2026
- Distinction between 2024 recession, 2025 recovery, and 2026 outlook
- Preventing confusion between year-end inflation rates and annual average indicators
- Separate analysis of agriculture, energy, and mineral industries
- Lithium and copper are classified by current production scale and development potential.
- Reflecting the strategic significance of Vaca Muerta
- Balanced analysis of growth opportunities and foreign exchange, inflation, and policy risks
- Reflecting the perspective of South Korea's food, energy, and battery supply chains
- Apply MarketHub WCI-001 Golden Template
- Maintain the same table of contents order and appropriate length
Argentina is a representative strategic resource country in South America that possesses world-class agricultural productivity as well as shale oil and gas, lithium, and copper resources.
In the past, the country was strongly characterized as an agricultural exporting nation centered on soybeans, corn, wheat, and beef; however, with the expansion of Vaca Muerta energy and the development of lithium and copper, it is highly likely to transform into an economic structure that simultaneously supplies food, energy, and strategic minerals.
South Korea should approach Argentina not merely as a country that imports agricultural products, but as a long-term supply chain partner capable of connecting batteries, electric vehicles, energy, and food security.
However, as risks regarding high inflation, exchange rate volatility, foreign exchange reserves, and policy changes have not been completely resolved, a strategy combining long-term contracts, phased investment, local partners, and project finance is necessary.
Final Evaluation
Argentina is a key country that South Korea must strategically manage to simultaneously secure supply chains for grain, lithium, copper, and shale energy, and to expand resource cooperation with South America.