Logistics services in Argentina.

Argentina logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Logistics services in Argentina rely on sea, air, rail, and road. Containerized sea freight moves through about 36 seaports, including Buenos Aires, Rosario, La Plata, Puerto Ingeniero White, and Puerto Madryn. Cargo enters and leaves by scheduled air services via airports such as Aeroparque Jorge Newbery and Ezeiza International Airport.

Rail freight uses a rail network of about 17,900 km to connect inland production with ports. Road corridors link Argentina to Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, supporting regional truck traffic and multimodal movements to and from ports and airports.

Freight forwarders in Argentina should be familiar with port operations at Buenos Aires, Rosario, La Plata, and other key ports handling containers and bulk cargo. The country moves about 1.5 million TEU and has a liner shipping connectivity index of 36.03, so experience with carrier schedules and transshipment options is important.

Argentina’s LPI customs score of 2.7 and infrastructure score of 2.8 sit close to world medians, so performance often depends on the forwarder’s local relationships. Given strong trade links with Brazil, the USA, Chile, China, and Mercosur membership, select partners who understand these trade lanes and regional road and rail crossings. Working with agents used to handling soy products, petroleum, vehicles, and parts can reduce issues at export and import.

FCL and LCL shipping from and to Argentina moves mainly through Buenos Aires, the country’s large port, with additional activity at Rosario, La Plata, Puerto Madryn, and Puerto Ingeniero White. Argentina handles about 1.5 million TEU and ranks 59th of 168 worldwide for container throughput. Liner connectivity, with an index of 36.03, is supported by carriers like MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, and others with offices in Buenos Aires.

Observed all-in FCL rates include Mundra to Buenos Aires at a median of 7,619 USD for a 20ST container on 2026-10-31, and Barcelona to Buenos Aires at 6,255 USD for a 20ST container on 2026-10-29. For LCL, Mundra to Buenos Aires showed a median of 818 USD per 500 kg / 1 m³ on 2026-10-30. Typical sea distances include Buenos Aires to Santos at 1,943 km and Buenos Aires to Callao at 7,962 km.

Air freight in Argentina uses 42 airports with scheduled services. Main international and regional gateways include Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, Ezeiza International Airport, General Enrique Mosconi International Airport, Gobernador Horacio Guzman International Airport, and Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport.

The country moved about 136 million tonne-km of air cargo in 2023, supporting exports such as higher-value industrial goods and imports like vehicle parts, refined petroleum, and machinery components. Air makes sense where time in transit is critical compared to sea or road, especially on lanes to Brazil, the USA, Chile, China, and Europe.

Rail and road freight in Argentina serves both domestic and cross-border flows. The rail network extends about 17,900 km and carried about 8.4 billion tonne-km in 2017, linking inland agricultural and industrial areas with seaports such as Buenos Aires, Rosario, and Puerto Ingeniero White.

By road, Argentina shares borders with Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Key trucking corridors include Buenos Aires to Sao Paulo at 2,188 km and Buenos Aires to Santiago at 2,402 km. These routes support regional trade within Mercosur and beyond, often as part of multimodal movements via ports and airports.

Customs clearance in Argentina operates within the framework of World Customs Organization membership since 1968 and participation in the World Trade Organization. The country is part of Mercosur, which shapes many regional trade flows and road and rail crossings. The simple average applied tariff is about 6.45 percent.

Argentina’s LPI customs score is 2.7, slightly above the world median of 2.6, while overall logistics performance is 2.8. Median border compliance times are about 4 days for exports and 5 days for imports. Shippers should prepare a clear commercial invoice, packing list, and transport document to help their brokers manage clearance at ports, airports, and land borders.