On Sunday, far-right politician Javier Milei of La Libertad Avanza alliance won the runoff of the presidential election in Argentina. During the presidential campaign, Milei spoke against joining BRICS and cooperating with China, Brazil and Russia, and advocated a foreign policy oriented toward Israel and the United States.
Brazil became Argentina's largest trading partner in January-September 2023, data shows. During this period, Argentina supplied its neighbor with $8.9 billion worth of goods and purchased $14.1 billion worth of goods from it, which brings Argentina's trade deficit with Brazil to $5.2 billion.
China supplied Argentina with $11 billion worth of goods and purchased from it $3.96 billion worth of goods, resulting in a $7 billion trade balance in China's favor.
Argentina's combined trade with Brazil and China in the first nine months of 2023 amounted to $38 billion, or $4.2 billion per month.
The United States is the third largest trade partner of Argentina: US exports to the country amount to $3.97 billion and imports to $6.9 billion. Argentina also has a trade deficit with the US that amounts to $3 billion.
At the same time, commodity flows with China, Brazil and the United States are not interchangeable.
While Brazil imports mainly petroleum products, oil and grain, and China imports mainly meat, grain and soy, the United States imports oil, precious metals and aluminum. The situation is similar with Argentina's imports: while Brazil mainly supplies soy, automobiles and electricity, and China various equipment, the US supplies liquefied natural gas, diesel and coal, the statistical data shows.