An INDEC report recorded accumulated exports of US$392 million, representing year-on-year growth of 119.6% for the province. Chemicals and precious metals lead the export basket. Catamarca outpaces the NOA regional average of 68.2% and emerges as the third-largest exporting province in the region.
By Panorama Minero
According to INDEC, Catamarca reached US$392 million in total exports during the first half of 2026, recording an extraordinary increase of 119.6% compared with the same period in 2025. This performance more than doubles the previous year’s export level and places the province in a period of unusually strong export growth.
Mining and Chemicals Lead the Export Basket
Catamarca’s growth is mainly explained by the surge in chemicals and related products (lithium), as well as the performance of the precious stones, precious metals and related manufactures category. The latter recorded year-on-year growth of 41.3%, demonstrating that mining—gold, silver and related products—is a central driver of the province’s export performance.
Catamarca Records the Strongest Growth in the Northwest Region
At the regional level, Catamarca accounts for 12.1% of total exports from Argentina’s Northwest region (NOA), ranking as the third-largest province in the regional export basket, after Jujuy with 30.0% and Salta with 29.6%.
Significantly, Catamarca’s growth (+119.6%) was almost twice that of the NOA region as a whole, which recorded a 68.2% year-on-year increase. This divergence reflects that Catamarca’s export boom is not solely the result of regional dynamics, but also of province-specific factors mainly linked to mining.
China as the Main Destination
The main destinations for Catamarca’s exports were China and the USMCA (the trade bloc comprising the United States, Mexico and Canada). China alone accounted for US$263 million of the province’s exports, representing approximately 67% of total exports. This level of concentration in a single market reflects the importance of Asian demand for strategic minerals.
NOA and National Market Context
The Northwest region as a whole exported US$3.241 billion during the first half of 2026, representing 6.5% of Argentina’s total exports, with year-on-year growth of 68.2%. In terms of their contribution to regional exports, Jujuy and Salta lead due to their exports of chemicals (lithium) and minerals, underscoring that mining is a growth driver not only for Catamarca but for the entire NOA region.
Other Primary Products with a Smaller Share
Unlike other inland provinces that specialize in primary products such as cereals, oilseeds and fruit, Catamarca displays the profile of a mining-industrial province. Cereals accounted for a marginal 1.5% share of exports, with growth of only 20.3%, contrasting sharply with the dynamism of mining and chemicals. This reflects an export structure that is less dependent on agricultural commodities.
