External sales reached USD 1.221 billion in the last 12 months, while exports accumulated until August surged by 7% year-on-year
"The data shows it: in August, exports of medications reached US$ 116 million and grew 21.8% year-on-year. Between January and August, they totaled US$ 814.4 million, 7% more than in the same period of 2025. Argentina has an industry capable of expanding its international presence and making health an increasingly relevant sector for the country's growth".
Finally, Mario Lugones highlighted the political orientation of the libertarian management in scientific and productive development:
"This news adds to other signals we have seen throughout the year, such as new investments and the growth of clinical research. Under President Milei's leadership, we are working to create the conditions for those capabilities to grow, compete, and reach new markets. The health sector responds to patients and, at the same time, drives Argentina's growth".
The detailed framework of the commercial exchange arises from the specialized report prepared by the Argentine Pharmaceutical Laboratories Industrial Chamber (CILFA), drafted based on the official statistics from INDEC.
The technical report reflects that the growth of exports occurred in parallel to an increase in the flow of purchases abroad, a characteristic of a process of economic opening and integration into global value chains, where the acquisition of active inputs and medical technology strengthens national installed capacity.
Imports for the month of August: Reached US$ 241.1 million, recording a year-on-year increase of 22.2% compared to the US$ 197.2 million recorded in August 2025. However, the figure represented a significant reduction of US$ 114 million less than in July, after months where external purchases hovered around US$ 300 million.
Cumulative imports (January-August): Totaled US$ 2.441 million, which represented an increase of 23.9% compared to the US$ 1.970.3 million from the same period in 2025. Throughout the entire year 2025, imports had totaled US$ 3.042 million (a 22.3% increase).
Sectoral trade balance: The monthly balance for August showed a deficit of US$ 125.2 million (compared to US$ 102 million in 2025, a variation of 22.7%). In the accumulated period from January to August 2026, the trade gap stood at US$ 1.626.6 million (a 34.6% increase over the US$ 1.209.5 million recorded in the first eight months of last year), having closed the year 2025 with a total deficit of US$ 1.873 million.
The performance of the health sector under the management of Javier Milei has marked a true milestone in the statistics of Argentine foreign trade. Over the last 12 accumulated months, international sales of medications reached the unprecedented sum of USD 1.221 million, consolidating itself as the highest annualized level recorded in the entire history of the national pharmaceutical industry.
This exceptional achievement contrasts with the previous scenario of the Argentine economy. According to technical records, after a prolonged period of commercial stagnation recorded during the years 2022 and 2023, shipments of medications abroad resumed a solid upward trajectory starting in 2024, a process that notably accelerated throughout 2026. As an immediate precursor to this growth, during the year 2025, sectoral exports had totaled US$ 1.169 million, which already represented an increase of 17.5% compared to 2024.
When examining the data specifically, the dynamism observed in the ninth month of the year demonstrates a strong rebound in production aimed at the foreign market. In the month of August, exports of medications reached US$ 116 million, representing a dizzying year-on-year growth of 21.8% compared to the same month in 2025.
This figure for August held strategic value for multiple reasons; it constituted the second highest monthly record in the last twelve months. Additionally, it signified a rapid recovery compared to the month of July, during which exports had recorded a year-on-year decline of 8.5%. Furthermore, it allowed monthly shipments to comfortably return above the threshold of US$ 100 million, with only 4 months having recorded negative year-on-year variations throughout the last year.
Regarding the accumulated performance during the first eight months of the year, between January and August 2026, pharmaceutical exports totaled US$ 814.4 million. This figure implies an increase of 7% compared to the US$ 760.8 million recorded in the same period of the previous year, generating an additional injection of US$ 54 million from external sales for the Argentine economy.
This historic performance was publicly supported by the authorities of the Government. The Minister of Health, Mario Lugones, presented the official data defining this phenomenon as "a demonstration of the growth of the industry under the management of Javier Milei". He also disseminated a statement titled "ARGENTINE MEDICINES IN THE WORLD: AN INDUSTRY THAT GENERATES JOBS AND DEVELOPMENT", where he expressly stated:
"The health sector has enormous potential: it brings together applied research, technology, and industry and can transform Argentine knowledge into products that compete globally. That is innovation for patients and jobs for Argentines".
The head of the health portfolio emphasized the numerical support for this advancement by pointing out:
