Argentina’s economic outlook was mixed at the end of 2026, as an export boom in commodities coincided with rising unemployment, a slowdown in disinflation and slowing economic activity.

Against this backdrop, the German-Argentine Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK, by its German acronym) organized a gathering titled “Debating the Foundations of Argentina’s Future” at the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange.

The event brought together CEOs and general managers from some of the country’s leading companies, as well as public-sector officials and prominent members of Argentina’s business community.

“We discussed future opportunities and how to turn them into tangible development,” the AHK said in a statement about the event, which the Herald attended.

Industrialization driven by the market

One of the first speakers was Energy Secretary María Tettamanti, who stressed that “to take advantage” of the natural gas reserves in the Vaca Muerta formation, “they have to be exported.”

This is expected to happen on a large scale once the two liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects approved under President Javier Milei’s Large Investment Incentive Regime (RIGI) are completed.

She argued that industrialization in an economy is the result of clear rules of the game and predictability.

“One of the mistakes made in Argentina is that the governments that talk the most about industrialization and adding value before exporting are the........

© Buenos Aires Herald