In the first four months of the 2025/26 commercial cycle, almost one out of every four tons processed by the Argentine oilseed industry came from neighboring countries (mainly Paraguay).

In July, soybean crushing in Argentina—according to official data—reached 4.14 million tons, a figure 9.2% higher than in the same month of 2025.

Argentine oilseed factories have been making major efforts to source beans in order to take advantage of the good international prices for soybean meal and oil. However, the level of sales by Argentine producers remains limited.

The latest official figure (corresponding to August 19) shows that the oilseed industry had purchased 21.2 million tons of Argentine 2025/26 soybeans, compared with 22.2 million in the same period of the previous cycle.

In this context, the share of imported soybeans is what has allowed Argentine crushing to remain firm so far in 2026.

In July, Argentina imported 947,768 tons of soybeans under the temporary admission regime, the majority of which came from Paraguay. This figure is equivalent to 22.9% of the crushing volume recorded in the period.

In the first four months of the Argentine soybean commercial cycle 2025/26 (April to July of this year), the share of imported soybeans in the crushing volume was 24.4%, versus 18.3% in the same period of 2025.

This represents a relative growth far greater than the gap between harvests, given that, according to official sources, the 2025/26 production was 49.5 million tons versus 51.1 million in the previous cycle (−3.1%).

At this pace, with 3.90 million tons entered so far in the 2025/26 commercial cycle, it is very likely that the official soybean import estimate—projected at 6.0 million tons by the Secretariat of Agriculture—will have to be revised upward.

The entry of soybeans into the Argentine market takes place under the “temporary importation of goods destined for industrial improvement” regime, which—implemented by Decree 1330/2004—facilitates the entry of inputs with the obligation that, once processed in Argentine territory, they be exported as meal, oil, and biodiesel to generate foreign exchange.