The Government eliminated the prohibition of exporting cattle standing up to work for slaughter and from the meat chain analyzed the measure, which was formalized today through Decree No. 133/2025.
According to the official government statement, the decree has the main objective of promoting and ensuring effective validity, throughout the national territory, of a Economic system Based on free decisionsadopted in an area of free concurrence, with respect to private property and the constitutional principles of free circulation of goods, services and work. In that line, it also seeks to promote a greater insertion of the Argentine Republic in world trade.
“Decree 133/25 published today eliminates the prohibition of exporting cattle opening endless new markets for the livestock sector of our country. The prohibition was imposed by a supply problem in 1973 and, as in Argentina there is nothing more Permanent that the transitory was in force for 50 years, “explained the Minister of Deregulation and Transformation of the State, Federico Sturzenegguer in his social network.
According to the official, the export of standing cattle is an active and important market in the world. Most livestock countries allow it (92 countries export standing). “The world market monster is Australia with ships that load 30,000 heads from which the Asian market supplies. Australia, France and Canada export more than 1,000 million dollars per year of cattle standing. In our Uruguay region exports 250,000 heads by Year and Brazil 750,000 “. He pointed out.
In this context, the Government celebrated that Argentina exceeded the 900 thousand tons equivalent to bone (TN EQRC/h) in exports of vaccine meat and reached a total 935,261 tons for 2024, marking a milestone from the historical record of 981 thousand tons reached in 1924.
Anyway, beef exports in 2025 began falling. In January they reached a volume close to 46.2 thousand tons Product weight, for a value of the order of the 227.7 million dollars. With respect to December 2024, the embarked volumes show a significant fall, 20%; While the value obtained shows a more moderate setback, of 11.1%. This was indicated in its latest report by the ABC exporters consortium.
The reaction of the meat chain
The president of the Argentine Rural Society (MR), Nicolás Pinohe said that the government measure is positive for the sector. “These initiatives, when they impact the market, They are an advance towards the normalization of productive activitiesallowing greater competitiveness for producers and a more efficient integration of international markets, “he said.” We hope that this measure will contribute to the generation of currencies and the strengthening of the commercial balance of the country, “added the ruralist.
“Beyond that I think we all celebrate the authorization, It will be difficult to export standing with current prices“Juan Pedro Colombo’s consignee said for his part to Clarín Rural. “In Argentina, the price of livestock in dollars is high, almost 3 dollars per kilo alive, and when additional freight and costs are added, the number is further more expensive,” he calculated.
Colombo highlights that The shortage of livestock supply is one of the reasons why the prices of the hacienda remain firms. “Agriculture has displaced livestock towards more marginal areas, which affects productive efficiency. Although weaning percentages have improved in recent years, they have not been enough to supply both the domestic market and export,” explained.
By the way, according to data from the ABC Consortium, 13.92 million cattle were slaughtered in 2024, 4.1% less than the 14.51 million that had been slaughtered between January and December 2023. and also the production of meat was minor in relation to the preceding year. There were about 3,177 million tons equivalent housing, 3.3% less.
Despite the current challenges, Colombo sees the opening of the export of footwear as A long -term positive tool. “It is a good sign for the sector. If in ten years we manage to increase the livestock stock and diversify the markets, we will have a more robust system. The key is to have a stable political and economic framework that allows these measures to last in the Time, “he said.
On the other sidewalk, from the refrigeration industry they indicated that “regardless of that a significant volume of heads will not be exported, It is a wrong measuresince it does not take into account the current reality of the Argentine productive sector. ”
“At this time, Argentina barely has a sufficient livestock stock to meet domestic and external demand. Due to economic instability and the shortage of supplies of the last decades, there was a lack of investment in the production chain and that has caused that Today, let’s have the same number of head of cattle that half a century ago, “said the source of the refrigeration industry.
For the refrigeration industry, he warned, andl Impact of this measure would be clearly negative. “The lack of livestock supply could cause an increase in production costs, lor that could generate increases in the price of meat for the final consumer. This would not only affect the fridge industry, but also the economy in general and the purchasing capacity of Argentines, “he warned.
“It seems crazy to me,” said Leonardo Rafael, president of the Argentine Chamber of Matarifes and Suppliers (Camya). “We are in a moment where this year we will surely slaughter 500-700 thousand heads less because we do not have them and we are going to export farm for slaughter. The truth that I do not understand. We are going to export fat hacienda to the bordering countries for what we are facilitating raw material without process, “he criticized.
For the Matarife, in Argentina, meat productions have been declining and there are less and less heads and more inhabitants and more exports. “We are going to collide at some point“, hill.