Paraguay: Mercosur Concentrates Its Key Exports

According to Paraguay's Ministry of Industry and Trade, data from Paraguay's Single Export Window (VUE) show that in September the Americas remained the main destination for certified exports, with shipments worth USD 655 million and more than one million tons. Brazil led the region's markets, with purchases of USD 276 million, followed by Argentina, with USD 166 million. Other leading destinations in the Americas include Chile, with USD 66 million; the United States, with USD 40 million; Uruguay, with USD 32 million; and Peru, with USD 28 million.

Asia, for its part, was the second-largest destination market, with exports of USD 152 million. Standouts on that continent were Israel, with USD 46 million, and India, with USD 27 million.

Meanwhile, exports under a Certificate of Origin bound for Europe reached USD 110 million, while shipments to Africa totaled USD 16 million and those to Oceania USD 1.5 million.

The MIC's data reveal the importance of regional destinations for Paraguay's foreign trade, which could be strengthened through greater regional industrial integration with Argentina, allowing Argentina to add volume to its exports by taking advantage of the Mercosur rules of origin regime and the free trade agreements with the EU, EFTA and Singapore, as well as those currently under negotiation. Such is the case of soybeans, which enter the Argentine market under the "temporary import of goods intended for industrial processing" regime, implemented by Decree 1330/2004, which facilitates the entry of inputs on the condition that, once processed in Argentine territory, they are exported to generate foreign currency. The beans enter the country to produce soybean meal and oil, which are subsequently exported. Imported soybeans accounted for almost 25% of the total volume processed in the 2025-2026 season. This mechanism could be extended to other types of products.