May 8th, 2026
1. Milei defended Adorni while carrying out his investor agenda in the United States
President Javier Milei traveled to Los Angeles this week with an agenda focused on meetings with business leaders and investors and a presentation at the 29th Annual Milken Institute Conference, where he once again promoted Argentina as a destination for foreign capital and defended his government’s economic course. During his speech, he argued that the “American Dream” is not dead and that it is being reborn in two countries: the United States and Argentina. In that context, he raised the possibility of moving forward with a free trade agreement and deepening bilateral economic relations, while once again outlining his program based on deregulation, reducing the size of government, and opening up the economy. The visit was part of a brief trip to the United States aimed at strengthening ties with leaders in the business and financial sectors. According to the reported agenda, the president held meetings with executives and investors prior to his presentation at the forum, where he sought to outline the reforms promoted by his administration and reinforce the message of openness to new investments. Meanwhile, in a television interview, Milei backed Chief of Staff Manuel Adorni in the face of questions about his financial situation. He noted that the official will submit his sworn statement by July 31, the deadline set by regulations, and ruled out his departure from office.
iProfesional: Viaje relámpago de Milei a Estados Unidos: se reunió con inversores y expuso ante empresarios
2. Karina Milei traveled to San Juan with her inner circle
The Secretary-General of the Presidency, Karina Milei, traveled to San Juan yesterday alongside Interior Minister Diego Santilli; Justice Minister Juan Bautista Mahiques; and the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, to participate in a summit with governors amid the ongoing debate over the new Glacier Law. The visit took place within the framework of an agenda related to mining activity, and one of its main focuses was seeking political support for the recently amended law. The ruling party maintains that the mining roundtable had been in the works even before the law was enacted, with the aim of providing predictability for investments and a signal of legal certainty. Governor Marcelo Orrego hosted the event in San Juan, with Carlos Sadir, Raúl Jalil, Alfredo Cornejo, Maximiliano Pullaro, and Martín Llaryora also in attendance. The event also featured Karina Milei leading a small delegation at a highly political gathering, attended by governors, national officials, and companies. Meanwhile, the Executive Branch decided that the Chief of Staff would not attend the summit. His absence thus stood out at an event where the Casa Rosada sought to regain the political initiative amid the scandal involving the Chief of Staff, Manuel Adorni, who is under investigation for alleged illicit enrichment.
3. The government briefed the private sector on the implementation of the EU-Mercosur agreement
The government invited representatives from more than 300 business chambers and associations to the Palacio San Martín to explain the operational scope of the agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, which entered into provisional force on May 1. The closed-door meeting was led by Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, Secretary of International Economic Relations Fernando Brun, and other officials from the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Economy. During the session, details were provided on the mechanisms for applying tariff preferences, implementation timelines, procedures for issuing certificates of origin, and the self-certification scheme via the TAD platform. A search tool available on the Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCE) was also presented, which allows users to verify tariffs by nomenclature and access information on quotas, proof of origin, and tariff reduction schedules. Official projections estimate that Argentine exports to the European bloc will grow by 76% over five years and 122% over ten. The sectors identified as having the greatest potential include meat, seafood, peanuts, wine, citrus fruits, auto parts, chemicals, petrochemicals, and lithium. The agreement still requires final approval by the European Parliament.
El Cronista: El Gobierno explicó la letra chica del acuerdo Mercosur-UE: las claves para operar
3. The government briefed the private sector on the implementation of the EU-Mercosur agreement
This week, the Executive Branch published Decree 315/2026 in the Official Gazette, which regulates Title XX of Law 27,802 on Labor Modernization and establishes the Labor Formalization Incentive Program (RIFL). The following day, the Customs and Tax Collection Agency (ARCA) issued General Resolution 5844/2026 setting forth the procedures and conditions for accessing the benefit. The program allows private-sector employers to pay reduced employer contributions during the first 48 months of each new employment relationship. The benefit covers contributions to the pension system, the National Employment Fund, family allowances, and the INSSJP. To be eligible, hired workers must not have had registered employment as of December 10, 2025, or must have been unemployed in the six months prior to enrollment, among other requirements. The period for hiring workers under this scheme runs from May 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027. To qualify, employers must register the worker through the Simplified Registration System and identify them on the social security affidavit. Those listed in the Public Registry of Employers with Labor Sanctions (REPSAL) or those who replace staff to improperly obtain the benefit are ineligible. Non-compliance results in the loss of the benefit and the payment of the difference, plus interest and fines. The regulation takes effect upon publication and applies to tax returns filed in May 2026 and thereafter.
Ámbito: Reforma laboral: el Gobierno reglamentó el RIFL, el régimen de incentivo para formalizar empleo
5. Industry and construction rebounded in March, in line with government forecasts
In line with projections by Economy Minister Luis Caputo, industrial production rose 5% year-over-year in March, while construction increased by 12.7%, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC). These are two sectors that had posted poor results in February, with year-over-year declines of 8.7% and 0.7%, respectively. As for manufacturing output, while it rose 5% compared to the same month last year, the first-quarter figures show a decline: between January and March, activity fell 2.3% compared to the same period in 2025. In terms of month-over-month comparison, industrial activity rebounded by 3.2% compared to February, while the metric tracking the long-term trend showed an increase of 0.6%. On the construction side, in addition to growing 12.7% compared to the same period in 2025, the sector shows a 3.9% improvement in the first quarter compared to the first three months of 2025. Compared to February, the construction sector rose 4.7%, and the long-term trend recorded a 0.7% increase.
Infobae: La industria y la construcción repuntaron fuerte en marzo, en línea con los pronósticos del Gobierno