Argentina recognises the United States as an adequate jurisdiction for data transfers under new bilateral trade framework

Argentina’s new trade and investment framework with the United States includes a major digital-policy development. Buenos Aires has formally committed to recognising the US as an adequate jurisdiction”for the cross-border transfer of data, including personal data. The decision, announced in a joint statement by Presidents Donald J. Trump and Javier Milei, positions the United States as a legally trusted destination for Argentine data flows, marking a significant shift in Argentina’s data-governance approach.

Under Argentine data-protection law, adequacy determinations play a central role in governing international transfers. They determine which countries are deemed to provide an equivalent level of protection for personal information. Until now, the US had not been included on Argentina’s adequacy list, requiring companies to rely on contractual clauses or other legal mechanisms to transfer data. The new commitment removes those barriers, enabling smoother movement of information for cloud computing, financial services, digital trade, and AI-enabled products. It also creates clearer regulatory conditions for companies operating across both markets, reducing compliance costs and uncertainty.

The adequacy pledge is part of a broader US–Argentina Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and Investment, which aims to open markets, streamline non-tariff barriers, and align standards across several sectors. On digital trade, Argentina commits not only to recognising the US as a safe jurisdiction for data transfers but also to refraining from discriminating against US digital services or products. The country also plans to accept electronic signatures valid under US law, improving legal interoperability for cross-border business transactions and digital service delivery.

Why does it matter?

For Washington, the agreement reinforces its efforts to establish a network of trusted partners for data flows and digital commerce. For Argentina, it signals a reorientation toward deeper digital and economic integration with the United States, consistent with the Milei administration’s broader liberalisation agenda. The two countries will now work to finalise the full agreement text, with the adequacy commitment expected to become a core pillar of the digital-trade chapter.