The United States has approved a bilateral trade agreement that will waive import duties on about 80% of Argentine goods entering the American market, while capping tariffs on most of the remainder at 10%. Steel and aluminum, deemed national-security items by Washington, remain outside the zero-tariff list. The deal follows talks in Washington between Argentine Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and reflects the close political alignment between Presidents Javier Milei and Donald Trump. The new terms are slated to take effect on 1 August, pending final procedural steps. In 2024 Argentina shipped US$6.4 billion in goods to the United States, with bilateral trade totaling US$16.3 billion, according to the U.S. Trade Representative. The preferential access positions Buenos Aires as one of Washington’s most favored partners at a time when the Trump administration is raising duties on other trading blocs, including a 50% levy on Brazilian products and a 145% tariff on Chinese goods.