Argentina Ratifies First in the World. What It Means for the EU-Mercosur Deal

Argentina's Chamber of Deputies Approves First

On 13 February 2026, Argentina's Chamber of Deputies approved the EU-Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement by 203 votes in favour, 42 against, and 4 abstentions. Argentina became the first country — on either side of the Atlantic — to secure parliamentary approval in one chamber. The signing ceremony had taken place barely four weeks earlier, on 17 January in Asunción.

President Javier Milei submitted the bill to Congress on 6 February and included it in extraordinary sessions. The pace was deliberate. For Milei, ratification serves three purposes: a signal to investors that Argentina is open for business; leverage within Mercosur, where the first mover sets the tempo; and a counterweight to China, anchoring Buenos Aires closer to Brussels and Washington. Five days before the Chamber vote, on 5–6 February, Milei signed a bilateral trade pact with US President Donald Trump, cutting hundreds of bilateral tariffs. Two agreements in one week — a clear statement of direction.

What surprised observers was the opposition's reaction. The Peronist bloc in the Chamber — traditionally protectionist — split. Forty-three deputies from Unión por la Patria voted in favour, against the party line. Their argument: the deal opens European markets for Argentine agriculture, the backbone of Peronist provinces in the pampas. The annual beef tariff-rate quota of 99,000 tonnes at 7.5% duty translates into real revenue for their constituents. The rest of the Peronists voted no, pointing to risks for Argentine industry — car tariffs dropping from 35% to 0% over 15 years, and machinery imports, could hurt domestic producers.

The ruling coalition — La Libertad Avanza, PRO, and UCR — carried the vote. The Senate is expected to vote within two weeks. The Senate traditionally gives greater weight to provincial interests; agriculture plays a larger role there, which may paradoxically ease ratification.

Brazil submitted the agreement to Congress on 2 February, Uruguay on 10 February. Paraguay is informing its Congress. Article 23.2 of the treaty governs entry into force:

"This Agreement shall enter into force [...] on the first day of the month following the date on which they have notified each other in writing of the completion of their respective internal procedures required for this purpose."

Each Mercosur country must ratify separately. Argentina's vote puts pressure on Brazil — the bloc's largest economy cannot afford to be last — and on the EU, where the ball is now on the European side.

Sources: MercoPress (13.02.2026), Buenos Aires Times, La Nación, El País Argentina, NPR (06.02.2026).