Asunción, Agencia IP.- The trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union could make it possible to recover, and even increase, Paraguay’s share of the European soybean oil market, a destination that once became the third largest buyer of this industrialized product from Paraguay.
In addition to being the main destination for Paraguayan soybean meal, the European Union was once the third largest purchaser of Paraguayan soybean oil. This position was lost in 2019, when Paraguay ceased receiving a tariff advantage granted by the bloc, a 0% tariff for this product when originating from countries on the GSP+ list.
During 2016-2020, exports to countries in this regional bloc accounted for 9% of total exports. However, this figure fell to 0.4% during the 2021–2025 period, according to REDIEX data.
In 2025, the agro-industrial segment represented 34% of the total export value of the soybean complex, marking an increase of 10 percentage points compared to 2024 and 2 percentage points above the average of the past five non-drought years.
Higher installed capacity utilization helped mitigate the decline in foreign currency inflows during a year marked by lower international prices and reduced primary production.
Throughout 2025, agro-industries added value to 3,334,038 tons of soybeans, the best performance recorded so far this decade.
Global sales of Paraguayan soybean oil, meal, and hulls generated revenues totaling US$ 1.22253 billion by the end of 2025, representing a 21% increase compared to the results achieved the previous year.