Exports in 2022 set a record: they totaled
US$88,446 million
, while imports reached US$81,523 million.
Although it was
the highest historical record,
it was not enough to sustain the trade surplus, which in one year fell by half: it went from US$6,923 million to US$14,751 million.
In the year, exports grew 13.5%, while imports, despite the multiple restrictions applied by the government, increased 29%, up to
US$ 81,523 million.
The import trap was especially felt in the last month of last year when imports fell 19.3% to close at
US$5,017 million.
In December, exports also fell 7.1%, to
US$ 6,119 million.
The balance for that month was US$ 1,102 million.
During the year, sales abroad increased 13.5% as a result of a rise in prices (16.2%) and a reduction in quantities (-2.3%).
Imports increased 29.0% due to an increase of 16.3% in prices and 11.0% in quantities.
From the Foreign Ministry they pointed out that "once the values of service exports are published, the total exported
will exceed US$ 100,000 million for the first time in history
."
During 2022 there was a growth in external sales of all major items and record values were reached in the exports of Manufactures of Agricultural Origin (US$ 33,119 million), Primary Products (US$ 23,868 million) and Fuels and Energy (US$ 8,398 millions).
Manufactures of Industrial Origin (US$ 23,061 million) registered the highest value since 2013, with incremental exports compared to 2021 for US$ 3,148 million.
Together, the higher exports of MOI and of Fuels and Energy explained 60% of the increase in annual exports.
During the year,
exports from the soybean complex stood out, reaching the historical maximum of US$ 24,174 million.
Record export values were also recorded for wheat, corn, boneless, refrigerated and frozen meat, barley, crude oil and lithium, among others.
Among industrial goods, exports of the automotive complex stood out with a total value of US$ 8,698 million during the year and a growth of 22.5%.
A total of 322,286 vehicles were exported
, 62,999 units above 2021.
"The exports of pharmaceutical products that reached the second highest historical value, after their record in 2015, were very relevant," they said from the Palacio San Martín.
There is also a significant increase in the value of exports of chemical products (US$ 1,100 million increase) and electrical machinery and equipment (US$ 219 million increase).
Among fuels
, the increase in crude oil exports was significant,
which more than doubled its external sales during the year, and fuels.
The main export markets in 2022 were: Brazil (14.3%), China (9.1%), the United States (7.5%), Chile (5.6%) and India (5.2%).
The European Union was the destination of 12.3% of exports in 2022.
Despite the obstacles to imports, the jump of 29.3% in the year is a consequence of the greater purchases of Fuels and Lubricants.
This item had the highest incidence in the annual increase, with a growth of 120.2%, equivalent to an
additional US$ 7,025 million
, driven both by the price increase caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine (72%) and by the quantities (28%).
In second place were intermediate goods, which were also driven by price increases (19%), including various fertilizers and agrochemicals.
Together,
fuels and intermediate goods explained more than 60% of incremental imports in 2022.
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