Economy Minister Luis Caputo announced that Japan has opened its market to Argentine beef. “This is a historic agreement reached after negotiations initiated in 2014 by our country’s authorities,” he stated.
According to the Minister of Finance, sanitary requirements were agreed upon for the entry of beef from the foot-and-mouth disease-free zone with vaccination. “Japan imports high-quality beef from around the world worth more than US$3 billion annually,” he said.
He continued, “ This opening creates new opportunities for Argentine production and exports. It also recognizes the quality of our beef and the strength of our sanitary system. More markets, greater international integration for Argentine, more exports, and more opportunities for the country.”
“From the IPCVA we congratulate the authorities of the National Government for this great achievement, on which we have been working for so many years,” said Georges Breitschmitt, president of the Argentine Beef Promotion Institute (IPCVA), who is accompanying the official mission to Asia.
“It is clear that there is still much work to be done, but it is nonetheless a very important milestone for Argentine beef,” he added.
Although health inspections are still pending, Breitschmitt estimated that the first shipments covered by this new agreement to Japan could take place during the first quarter of 2027.
This is a high-value market that presents opportunities for various products from the Argentine meatpacking industry, especially for beef tongue, one of the products most appreciated by Japanese consumers.
The IPCVA has been carrying out various initiatives in the Japanese market since 2015. In 2017, the Institute supported the Argentine government in the efforts that led to market access for beef from Patagonia, a region recognized as free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination. Since then, it has continued working with national authorities to extend access to the rest of Argentine.
As part of that positioning and promotion strategy, between 2019 and 2023 the IPCVA also participated in Foodex Japan, one of the main food and beverage fairs in Asia, which is held annually in Tokyo.
