Paraguay enters October with a stronger foreign-trade base than a year earlier. Through August 2026, total exports reached US$14.0253 billion, up 24.7% from the same period in 2025, while imports totaled US$13.3084 billion.
The result produced a US$716.9 million trade surplus. Export growth was driven mainly by soybeans, soybean oil and soybean meal, while maquila exports exceeded US$1.012 billion, according to the Central Bank of Paraguay.
From preferential access to real investment
The Mercosur–European Union agreement expands Paraguay's preferential access to a high-income market. Paraguay's Foreign Ministry estimates that at least 95% of the country's current and potential exports will enter the European market at zero or preferential tariffs.
But market access alone does not guarantee new investment. The CNCSP has warned that infrastructure, logistics, technology and productive capacity will determine whether the agreement translates into capital, contracts and new business.
For investors, the opportunity lies in value chains able to meet standards, secure competitive transport, sustain volumes and capture more value added. Agribusiness, manufacturing, services, logistics and energy are among the sectors most exposed to this new trade platform.
What investors should watch
The next phase will depend less on the announcement of the agreement and more on execution: certifications, infrastructure, logistics costs, clearance times, financing and the ability of Paraguayan companies to integrate into regional and European value chains. Radar will follow those variables in future editions.
ON THE RADAR
US$14.0253 billion exported through August and a US$716.9 million trade surplus. The next investment question is how much of that external access becomes productive capacity, logistics and long-term contracts.
