Argentina Soybean Oilcake Export Market -- HS Code 2304 Trade Data & Price Trend (Feb 2025)

Argentina Soybean Oilcake Export (HS 2304) Key Takeaways

Argentina's soybean oilcake exports under HS Code 2304 in February 2025 were dominated by bulk oil-cake shipments, with Vietnam as the top destination (25.4% of value) and a concentrated buyer market reliant on high-volume traders. The trade saw a 3% price increase to $0.68/kg but a 3.4% volume drop, signaling tighter supply conditions. Argentina's export strategy hinges on cost-efficient bulk trade, though premium niches like Italy and Indonesia offer margin potential. This analysis covers February 2025 and is based on processed customs data from the yTrade database.

Argentina Soybean Oilcake Export (HS 2304) Background

What is HS Code 2304?

HS Code 2304 covers soybean oilcake and other solid residues, whether ground or pelleted, resulting from soybean oil extraction. This product is a key byproduct of soybean processing, primarily used as high-protein animal feed in livestock and poultry industries. Its global demand remains stable due to its cost-effectiveness and nutritional value for feed formulations.

Current Context and Strategic Position

Argentina's soybean oilcake exports are strategically significant, accounting for a substantial share of global trade in this category. In 2025, the Argentine government suspended export taxes on soy and its by-products, including HS Code 2304, through the end of the year [The Poultry Site]. This policy shift aims to boost competitiveness and align with broader agricultural export incentives. Given Argentina's role as a leading soybean producer, monitoring hs code 2304 trade data is critical for assessing supply dynamics and pricing trends in Argentina's soybean oilcake export market. Vigilance remains essential as policy adjustments and global demand fluctuations could influence trade flows.

Argentina Soybean Oilcake Export (HS 2304) Price Trend

Key Observations

In February 2025, Argentina's soybean oilcake exports under HS code 2304 reached a value of 1.73 billion USD, with a unit price of 0.68 USD per kg. This marks a slight decrease in total value from January's 1.74 billion USD, while the unit price edged higher.

Price and Volume Dynamics

The Argentina Soybean oilcake Export trend exhibited a shift in early 2025, with February's performance showing a 3% increase in unit price to 0.68 USD/kg, but a 3.4% drop in volume to 2.56 billion kg, resulting in a marginal value decline. This pattern suggests that higher prices may have partially offset reduced shipment volumes, possibly due to pre-harvest supply constraints or inventory adjustments typical in agricultural cycles leading into Argentina's main soybean processing period.

External Context and Outlook

Absent specific policy changes by February 2025, the hs code 2304 value trend likely reflects broader macro-economic influences, such as fluctuations in global demand for animal feed and currency dynamics affecting export competitiveness. Argentina's position as a key supplier means that ongoing monitoring of production cycles and international market conditions will be crucial for future performance.

Argentina Soybean Oilcake Export (HS 2304) HS Code Breakdown

Product Specialization and Concentration

According to yTrade data, Argentina's export of HS Code 2304 in February 2025 is heavily concentrated in sub-code 23040010100, which represents oil-cake and solid residues from soya-bean oil extraction. This variant dominates with over 99% of the trade value and weight, priced at 0.68 USD per kilogram. A minor sub-code, 23040090200, with a higher unit price of 0.89 USD per kilogram, accounts for less than 0.1% of exports and is treated as an isolated anomaly due to its negligible share.

Value-Chain Structure and Grade Analysis

The market is split into two product grades: the primary bulk oil-cake and a rare, potentially higher-quality variant. This structure indicates that Argentina's HS Code 2304 export is largely a fungible bulk commodity, traded based on volume and standard specifications, with a tiny segment offering possible differentiation through quality or processing, as seen in the price disparity.

Strategic Implication and Pricing Power

The high concentration in bulk exports under HS Code 2304 gives Argentine producers strong pricing power for the standard grade, emphasizing cost leadership. Analyzing HS Code 2304 trade data suggests that diversifying into premium niches could unlock higher margins, but the focus remains on efficient, large-scale operations to maintain competitiveness in global markets.

Check Detailed HS Code 2304 Breakdown

Argentina Soybean Oilcake Export (HS 2304) Destination Countries

Geographic Concentration and Dominant Role

Vietnam is the leading destination for Argentina's Soybean oilcake exports in February 2025, accounting for 25.36% of the export value. The value share is slightly lower than the weight share (25.36% vs. 26.45%), indicating that shipments to Vietnam consist of bulk or lower-value variants of HS Code 2304 products. The frequency share of 21.12% is also lower, confirming that trade involves fewer but larger shipments, which is common for commodity exports like soybean oilcake.

Destination Countries Clusters and Underlying Causes

The export partners can be grouped into two main clusters based on share profiles. First, the Volume Cluster includes Vietnam and Ecuador, with high weight shares (26.45% and 9.20% respectively), pointing to their role as major bulk buyers, likely for animal feed or processing industries. Second, the High-Yield Cluster consists of Italy and Indonesia, where value shares exceed weight shares (Italy: 6.14% vs. 5.59%, Indonesia: 7.14% vs. 6.47%), suggesting demand for higher-quality or specially processed soybean oilcake. The remaining countries, such as Algeria and Malaysia, form a secondary group with balanced ratios, indicating standard bulk trade.

Forward Strategy and Supply Chain Implications

For Argentina's Soybean oilcake exports under HS Code 2304, the strategy should prioritize strengthening ties with volume buyers like Vietnam and Ecuador to ensure stable bulk demand. Simultaneously, targeting high-value markets like Italy and Indonesia could boost profit margins by focusing on premium product variants. Supply chains should be optimized for large-scale shipments to handle the bulk nature of this trade, with logistics tailored to reduce costs for high-volume destinations.

Table: Argentina Soybean Oilcake (HS 2304) Top Destination Countries (Source: yTrade)

Get Complete Destination Countries Profile

Argentina Soybean Oilcake (HS 2304) Buyers Analysis

Buyer Market Concentration and Dominance

The Argentina Soybean oilcake Export buyer market in February 2025 was concentrated among a core group of high-volume, regular purchasers. According to yTrade data, the dominant segment consisted of buyers who placed large orders frequently. This group drove the majority of trade value for hs code 2304. The typical trade involved substantial, recurring shipments, indicating a stable demand base for this commodity product.

Strategic Buyer Clusters and Trade Role

The profile of hs code 2304 buyers shows the market is intermediated, dominated by trading firms and large agribusinesses that manage bulk flows. Other segments included occasional bulk buyers and smaller but frequent purchasers, likely local processors or feed mills. This structure points to an agent-driven market where a few key players control major export volumes, while smaller buyers ensure steady, lower-value transactions. The four segments of buyers reflect a mix of scale and engagement frequency common in agricultural commodity trade.

Sales Strategy and Vulnerability

For Argentina Soybean oilcake Exporters, the strategy should focus on maintaining relationships with high-volume traders while diversifying to include regular smaller buyers to reduce dependency. The suspension of export taxes on soy by-products through 2025, as reported by [The Poultry Site], lowers costs and boosts competitiveness, but reliance on a few large buyers remains a vulnerability. Sales efforts should prioritize contract stability with major partners while expanding into growth markets to leverage favorable trade conditions.

Check Full Soybean oilcake Buyer lists

Action Plan for Soybean Oilcake Market Operation and Expansion

Strategic Supply Chain Overview

Argentina's Soybean oilcake Export is a bulk commodity trade. Its price is driven by global feed demand and the cost advantage from suspended export taxes. The hs code 2304 trade data shows extreme concentration in a standard grade. This creates pricing power but also reliance on volume buyers. The Soybean oilcake supply chain must prioritize high-volume, efficient logistics to major destinations like Vietnam. Supply security depends on maintaining stable relationships with dominant trading firms.

Action Plan: Data-Driven Steps for Soybean oilcake Market Execution and Expansion

• Use hs code 2304 trade data to identify and prioritize contract renewals with high-volume, high-frequency buyers. This secures stable bulk demand and reduces market volatility for Argentina's Soybean oilcake Export.
• Analyze destination data to create separate strategies for volume markets (e.g., Vietnam) and high-value markets (e.g., Italy). This allows for tailored pricing and product offerings to maximize both volume and margin.
• Leverage buyer frequency data to identify and engage smaller, regular purchasers to diversify the client base. This reduces dependency on a few large buyers and builds a more resilient sales portfolio.
• Optimize the Soybean oilcake supply chain for bulk shipping to high-weight share destinations. This lowers per-unit logistics costs and protects competitiveness for Argentina's primary export grade.

Take Action Now —— Explore Argentina Soybean oilcake Export Data

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is driving the recent changes in Argentina Soybean oilcake Export 2025 February?

Argentina's soybean oilcake exports saw a 3% unit price increase to 0.68 USD/kg in February 2025, but a 3.4% volume drop, likely due to pre-harvest supply constraints or inventory adjustments in the agricultural cycle.

Q2. Who are the main destination countries of Argentina Soybean oilcake (HS Code 2304) 2025 February?

Vietnam is the top destination (25.36% of export value), followed by Ecuador (9.20%) and Italy (6.14%), reflecting bulk demand and niche high-value markets.

Q3. Why does the unit price differ across destination countries of Argentina Soybean oilcake Export?

The price gap stems from Argentina's bulk-grade oilcake (0.68 USD/kg, 99% of exports) versus a rare premium variant (0.89 USD/kg), with Italy and Indonesia favoring higher-value shipments.

Q4. What should exporters in Argentina focus on in the current Soybean oilcake export market?

Exporters should prioritize stable contracts with high-volume traders (e.g., Vietnam) while expanding into premium markets (Italy, Indonesia) to diversify revenue streams.

Q5. What does this Argentina Soybean oilcake export pattern mean for buyers in partner countries?

Bulk buyers like Vietnam benefit from consistent supply, while high-value markets (Italy) gain access to specialized variants, though reliance on Argentine exports poses concentration risks.

Q6. How is Soybean oilcake typically used in this trade flow?

Soybean oilcake (HS 2304) is primarily used as animal feed, with bulk shipments supporting livestock industries and processed variants potentially serving higher-grade nutritional needs.