Argentina’s Blue Dollar Rises for Third Week and Nears Its Nominal Record

A near‑USD 800 million IMF payment followed by a sharp weekly fall in central bank reserves has pushed market risk higher, lifting premiums on alternate dollar markets.

Overview

The informal 'dólar blue' closed at ARS 1,540 (buy) and ARS 1,560 (sell) on Friday, 25 September 2026, marking its third straight weekly increase and bringing it close to its ARS 1,570 nominal peak.
Official retail rates at Banco Nación were quoted at ARS 1,490 (buy) and ARS 1,540 (sell) the same day, leaving a roughly 3% gap with the blue dollar.
Financial-dollar windows traded noticeably higher: the MEP traded near ARS 1,550 and the Contado con Liquidación (CCL) finished around ARS 1,618, a gap of about 6.1% versus the official rate.
Market reports show the government made a near‑USD 800 million payment to the IMF and central bank reserves fell by about USD 1,553 million over the week, moves that traders linked to higher country risk and stronger demand for alternate dollars.
Argentina’s multiple-rate system and purchase limits for retail clients push consumers and firms toward legal workarounds like MEP and CCL, which keeps parallel rates and the 'dólar turista' well above the official price and affects household costs for foreign cards and savings.