Overview
- The Ieral (Fundación Mediterránea) survey compared September 2025 prices for 13 inputs across Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and the United States in six groups including fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, transport, fuel and machinery.
- Argentina was pricier in 69% of items versus Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay (11 of 13) and in 54% versus the United States (7 of 13).
- Average gaps were modest for many inputs, with fertilizers 5.8% higher, herbicides 8.2% higher and diesel (grade 2) 3% higher than the sample average.
- Notable exceptions included machinery and crop protection: tractors were about 31% above peers’ prices, combine harvesters about 7% below, and fungicides roughly 7.8% cheaper than regional neighbors but slightly above U.S. levels.
- The report cites distortions such as currency restraints, rigid labor rules, high logistics costs and smaller scale, recommends replacing turnover taxes with more neutral levies like VAT, and reiterates export duties as the primary revenue-side drag creating a “double penalty.”