+34
After almost two decades of negotiations, Japan lifted the restrictions that limited the import of Argentine beef to the Patagonia region. The new agreement allows the entry of meat and byproducts from the entire foot-and-mouth disease-free zone with vaccination, covering approximately 90% of national production. While the sanitary opening is a significant step, the high import tariff (38%) remains a challenge for the competitiveness of Argentine products in this high-value market.
After nearly two decades of negotiations, Japan expanded access for Argentine beef in full. The agreement reached between the two countries establishes the sanitary requirements for the entry of beef and bovine byproducts from the Argentine foot-and-mouth disease -free zone with vaccination.
Ampliación del acceso para carne bovina argentina
Until now, access was limited to Patagonia, recognized as a foot-and-mouth disease-free zone without vaccination. The announcement was made by the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, who highlighted that this is an agreement reached after negotiations initiated in 2024.
'After 20 years, Japan opens its market to Argentine bovine meat,' he noted on the X social network. According to the official, the two countries agreed on the sanitary requirements for the entry of bovine meat from the foot-and-mouth disease-free zone with vaccination. This decision completes a process that had one of its main advancements in February of this year, when Japan approved the risk analysis report presented by Argentina.
The sanitary difference is central to understanding the scope of the measure. Patagonia already had Japanese access enabled for being a foot-and-mouth disease-free zone without vaccination, while now products from the rest of the territory authorized under the foot-and-mouth disease-free with vaccination status can enter. Around 90% of the bovine stock and livestock establishments in the country are concentrated in that region.
Importancia del mercado japonés para exportaciones
Chancellor Pablo Quirno confirmed that the agreement will allow for the export of beef and bovine byproducts from the foot-and-mouth disease-free zone with vaccination and emphasized that this expands the authorization that was until now restricted to Patagonia. The opening reaches a market of enormous international relevance. Japan imports, on average, approximately 500,000 tons of fresh and frozen bovine meat for over US$3100 million annually, according to the official information disseminated during the negotiation process.
For Argentina, therefore, this is not just about adding a new destination but accessing one of the highest-value markets for bovine meat with its entire authorized production. In the case of the zone with vaccination, the new access covers the main producing regions of the country.
Reconocimiento del sistema sanitario argentino
'This is a spectacular news; we were waiting for it,' said livestock consultant Víctor Tonelli to LA NACIÓN, who considered that the decision represents a backing for the Argentine sanitary system. According to him, the advancement implies that Japan 'has just announced or confirmed the opening of bovine meat to enter Japan from all origins in Argentina.
' And he emphasized the difference with the previous situation: 'We were opened from Patagonia, but now it is the entire Argentina. ' For Tonelli, one of the key aspects of the agreement is the confidence that Japan places in the Argentine sanitary system and, particularly, in the advancements in traceability.
'Japan had us limited to the foot-and-mouth disease-free zone with vaccination, and now, fundamentally due to the changes and the seriousness with which traceability has been worked on, it gives us the confidence that even in zones with vaccination, we can export,' he said. The consultant also focused on the type of meat demanded by that market.
Japan, along with Korea, represents one of the highest-value destinations for high-quality products, with a strong preference for cuts with a high level of marbling.
Alta valoración de cortes con alto nivel de marbling
'They privilege, especially Japan, cuts with a lot of marbling, of the highest quality, for which they are willing to pay unimaginable fortunes,' he affirmed. According to him, cuts like loin, steak, ribeye, and strip loin can reach values exceeding US$200 per kilogram at the consumer level when they exhibit high levels of marbling.
For Tonelli, that characteristic also opens a pending discussion for the Argentine chain: advancing in systems that allow for the objective measurement and classification of meat quality. In his vision, the possibility of accessing Japan can accelerate the development of tools to evaluate the ribeye and marbling and differentiate cuts based on their attributes. But the sanitary opening does not mean the business is resolved.
Obstáculos arancelarios frente a competidores
The main obstacle is the import tariff, which, according to him, reaches 38% for Argentine meat. That cost represents a disadvantage compared to competitors like Australia and the United States, who access with lower tariffs based on the trade agreements they have with Japan.
'Finally, what remains is no minor, and it is facing an entry tariff of 38% on goods placed on Japanese soil,' warned Tonelli, which, in his opinion, 'in some way removes competitiveness' compared to the main suppliers of the Japanese market.
Japan Argentina Beef Import Sanitary Agreement Foot-And-Mouth Disease Vaccination Traceability Marbling Tariff