The Government of Javier Milei officially announced the elimination of export duties for nearly 1000 industrial products, in line with what President Javier Milei had anticipated last May.
The measure was established through Decree 566/2026, which came into effect this Wednesday and covers goods belonging to key sectors such as chemical industry, petrochemical, steel, automotive, and metalworking, among others.
The text is signed by President Javier Milei, Economy Minister Luis "Toto" Caputo, and Chief of Staff Diego Santilli, and defines a segmented scheme in three modalities for the reduction of withholdings.
On one hand, there is an immediate elimination of export duties for a wide range of value-added products.
Javier Milei and Luis Caputo
In parallel, a second scheme of progressive reduction is established for those tariff positions that currently tax between 3% and 4.5%, with a schedule that will extend until June 2027.
Finally, a third regime includes a specific calendar for petroleum oils and their derivatives, including gasoline and certain hydrocarbons, which will start from a rate of 7.3% in July and converge to zero within twelve months.
Among the sectors benefiting from the immediate elimination are the chemical and petrochemical industries, plastics, resins, fertilizers, rubber, and various industrial metals such as aluminum and copper.
In this context, the automotive industry receives differential treatment. The decree emphasizes that this sector represents 10% of Argentina's industrial production and highlights the country's position as the fourth largest producer of pick-ups in the world, which justifies the inclusion of transport vehicles and bodies in the gradual reduction scheme.
Javier Milei and Luis Caputo
According to the official text, the decision aims to “strengthen the competitive position of national production,” while seeking to encourage job creation and promote value addition in exports. In this regard, the Government maintains that the measure “does not compromise tax revenue levels” or fiscal balance.
To determine if a product is eligible for the benefits, companies must verify its tariff position in the Common Nomenclature of Mercosur (NCM) and compare it with the annexes of the decree, available in the Official Bulletin.
Tax Reduction
This decision is part of a broader policy of tax reduction. In May 2025, the Milei Government had already eliminated withholdings for 4,411 products, a measure that affected around 3,580 companies, mostly SMEs, representing nearly 40% of the total exporting firms in the country.
This was complemented by the removal of export duties for agro-industrial activities of regional economies, including sectors such as the cotton textile chain, paper, cardboard, food, and beverages.
The process of tax exemption also extended to the agricultural sector. In June 2026, through Decree 423/2026, the Government advanced with a staggered reduction for the main agricultural complexes (soybean, sunflower, corn, sorghum, wheat, and barley) and established a zero rate for certain biofuels starting in 2027.
