Last Thursday, the Trump Administration published joint statements memorializing “Frameworks for Agreement” on trade with four Latin American countries: Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala. While all four Frameworks address similar subject matter, the US-Argentina Framework is distinguished by its inclusion of critical minerals investment provisions. With respect to tariffs, the United States will remove reciprocal tariffs on certain unavailable natural resources and non-patented pharmaceutical articles. Argentina, in turn, will provide “preferential market access” for U.S. goods in several sectors. Details remain to be seen, but the announced Framework provides further evidence of similarity (but not strict uniformity) in U.S. trade & security dealmaking.
Tariff Measures
The Frameworks with Argentina, El Salvador, and Guatemala are the second batch of agreements involving countries assigned a rate of 10% under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) “Reciprocal” tariff regime. (The first was the U.S.-United Kingdom Economic Prosperity Deal.) Thus, these most recent Frameworks provide insight into what tariff concessions might be realistic for similarly situated trading partners. None of the November 13 Frameworks provide for a reduction in the baseline 10% reciprocal tariff rate for any country. However, the United States does provide for several tariff concessions with respect to Argentina.
IEEPA Reciprocal tariffs will be removed for “certain unavailable natural resources and non-patented articles for use in pharmaceutical applications.” While the removal of tariffs on certain natural resources is a feature of all four of the November 13 Frameworks, the mention of pharmaceutical articles is unique to Argentina.
In addition, the U.S.-Argentina Framework expressly mentions that the U.S. “may positively consider the effect that the Agreement has on national security” when imposing tariffs pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (“Section 232”). While this is far from concrete, it appears meaningful insofar as the Frameworks with Ecuador and Guatemala contain no similar clause.
On Argentina’s side, it has pledged “preferential market access” for U.S. goods in the following sectors: medicines, medical devices, chemicals, motor vehicles, machinery, information technology products, and “a wide range of agricultural products.” While the terms of this “preference” are not spelled out in the Framework, it appears in the section labeled “Tariffs” and thus appears to envision tariff reduction.
Non-Tariff Measures — Agriculture
The US-Argentina Framework emphasizes non-tariff agricultural measures as well. As a general matter, it provides for joint efforts to “address non-tariff barriers affecting trade in food and agricultural products.” With respect to beef in particular, the parties commit to “improved, reciprocal, bilateral market access conditions for trade in beef,” and note that Argentina has opened its market to U.S. live cattle and will “simplify {the} product registration process for U.S. beef, beef products, {and} beef offal.” Registration streamlining commitments are also made for U.S. pork products, and the Framework provides for “market access for U.S. poultry within one year.” Soybeans are also singled out for “work toward stabilizing the global soybean trade,” possibly an allusion to concerns about Argentine sales of soybeans to the People’s Republic of China.
Finally, the Framework includes a commitment with respect to geographical indications, i.e., “not to restrict market access for products that use certain cheese and meat terms,” a common feature of these four Frameworks and other recent U.S. trade agreements.
Non-Tariff Measures in Common with Other Agreements
The U.S.-Argentina Framework describes several other measures that appear analogous to provisions of recent agreements with partners such as the European Union, Malaysia, and Cambodia. These include commitments in principle to:
- Accept, without further conformity assessment, U.S. goods that comply with applicable U.S. or international standards, U.S. technical regulations, or U.S. or international conformity assessment procedures. Vehicles, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals are specifically named examples.
- Cooperate to combat third-country non-market policies and practices.
- Enhance alignment with respect to export controls, investment security, and addressing duty evasion.
- Address “potential distortionary actions of state-owned enterprises” and “industrial subsidies that may have an impact on the bilateral trading relationship.”
- Adopt and implement a prohibition on the importation of goods produced by forced labor.
- Strengthen enforcement of labor laws and protect internationally recognized labor rights.
- Combat illegal logging.
- Implement the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
- Facilitate investment and trade in critical minerals. While United States has announced several critical minerals deals in recent months, Argentina’s is the only November 13 Framework to feature this type of provision. It is also the only November 13 Framework labeled as encompassing “Investment” as well as “Trade.”
- Ensure “a more resource efficient economy,” particularly in the critical minerals sector.
- Address structural challenges with respect to the protection of intellectual property as noted in USTR’s 2025 Special 301 report. The incorporation of USTR’s report as a cross-reference in the U.S.-Argentina Framework (as well as the Frameworks with Ecuador and Guatemala) underscore the extent to which these reports are informing negotiations, and the potential value of participating in that process for interested parties.
Variations on a Theme: Non-Tariff Measures Particular to Argentina
Certain measures contemplated in the U.S.-Argentina Framework reflect consideration of Argentina’s particular policies and circumstances. For instance, in eliminating non-tariff import barriers, the Framework specifically identifies “consular formalities” and Argentina’s “statistical tax” for elimination with respect to U.S. goods. Similarly, in addressing intellectual property matters, Argentina’s “patentability criteria, patent backlog, and geographical indications” are noted as targets for reform. Finally, with respect to digital trade, Argentina’s general commitment not to discriminate against U.S. digital services is coupled with specific commitments to “recognize the United States as an adequate jurisdiction under Argentine law for the cross-border transfer of data” and “recognize as valid under {Argentine} law electronic signatures that are valid under U.S. law.” Other than the cross-border data transfer measure, each of these country-specific issues were previously highlighted in the 2025 edition of the U.S. Trade Representative’s National Trade Estimate Report.
Tariff Strategy and Legal Insight
The attorneys, licensed customs brokers, compliance professionals, economists, and trade specialists of Cassidy Levy Kent regularly assist companies in effectively advocating for policy changes and in evaluating their supply chains to ensure compliant market access and adjust for tariff-related developments, both mitigating burdens and taking advantage of opportunities. Domestic companies rely on Cassidy Levy Kent to address unfair trade competition and noncompliance with U.S. law and agreements. Cassidy Levy Kent also leverages its thorough understanding of relevant legal regimes to advise governments on tariff policy and procedures.