Temporary export tax reduction ends; producer groups show first signs of discontent with the government

On Monday, the decree that temporarily reduced export duties (DEX) for certain crops —enacted on January 27 amid extremely tight profit margins— officially expired. While the government had already extended the reduced rates for wheat and barley until March 2026 ahead of winter cereal planting, it did not do the same for soybeans and corn, Argentina’s two most important crops. As a result, soybean export taxes rose from 26% back to 33%, and corn from 9.5% to 12%, returning to pre-January levels.

The move triggered the first major backlash from the agricultural sector against Javier Milei’s administration, which during his campaign had won the sector’s support by calling export taxes “a robbery.”

The Liaison Commission of Agricultural Entities (CEEA) —which brings together Argentina’s four main national rural organizations (Sociedad Rural Argentina, Federación Agraria Argentina, Coninagro, and Confederaciones Rurales Argentinas)— called for the complete elimination of export taxes.

“We have been demanding urgent and definitive measures for months and years to address the severe competitiveness problems facing the sector. We have done so institutionally, in every meeting with lawmakers, executive branch officials, and provincial governments,” they said.

“The main issue with export taxes, beyond the specific rates, is that they are a distortionary, outdated, and harmful tax that has caused inevitable social, technological, and productive stagnation, despite the isolated efforts of producers and others in the supply chain to maintain production and rural livelihood,” they added.