Argentina Pledges to Lower Barriers to Facilitate Entry for Indian Pharmaceutical Sector: Govt

Trade Minister Rajesh Agrawal in a meeting with Ms. Paula Estévez Weinstein, Deputy Minister of International Economic Relations of Chile, on August 27. Photo credit: X/@DoC_GoI

Argentina has pledged to lower barriers to facilitate the Indian pharmaceutical sector’s entry into the South American nation, the Commerce Ministry said on Saturday (29 Aug 2026).

This is expected to provide greater opportunities for Indian pharmaceutical companies and contribute to improving access to quality and affordable healthcare in Argentina, the company said.

“Argentina is committed to work towards upgrading India from Annex II to Annex I within its pharmaceutical regulatory framework and to reduce barriers to entry,” he added.

The issue came up for discussion during Commerce Minister Rajesh Agarwal’s visit to Buenos Aires this week.

He was in the country for the India-Argentina Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting held on August 24, 2026 at the Palacio San Martín in Buenos Aires.

Bilateral trade between India and Argentina is expected to exceed USD 6.5 billion by 2025, registering a consistent annual growth of over 17%.

Investment opportunities in mining, energy and infrastructure were also discussed, including India’s KABIL’s continued involvement in Argentina’s lithium sector.

KABIL’s mining activities at Catamarca, the first lithium mining initiative by an Indian company in Argentina, have progressed significantly following the completion of Phase II drilling, the company said.

He added that emerging areas of cooperation, including aviation, space technology, telecommunications and digital services, have been identified as areas offering further opportunities for both countries, particularly in 5G, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.

The visit was also important as India and the Mercosure bloc seek to expand the existing preferential trade agreement.

Mercosur is a trade bloc in Latin America comprising Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. The India-Mercosur PTA entered into force on 1 June 2009.

Advances in terms of reference, along with the adoption of digital certificates of origin, are expected to facilitate trade and streamline cross-border trade for businesses.

Published – 29 Aug 2026 12:30 PM IST