Argentina

A UIP mission to Curitiba on October 21 will bring together at least 30 Paraguayan companies for meetings and business discussions. Martín Ruiz said that more than 60% of Paraguayan exports under the maquila regime go to Brazil and linked Brazilian businesspeople’s interest in investing in Paraguay to the pursuit of competitiveness amid the growing presence of Chinese products and investment in Brazil.

Work-life balance is the main priority for 41.6% of the 3,908 participants in Rankmi’s study across 14 Latin American and Caribbean markets, while remote or hybrid work leads the conditions for balancing responsibilities; for companies, flexibility affects talent attraction and retention, and in Paraguay, Jobs Paraguay reported that 37% of 193 surveyed companies had work-from-home practices, especially in technology (33%), administration (30%) and human resources (12%), generally under a hybrid model.

Paraguay is undergoing a clear demographic transition: according to INE, the total fertility rate is 1.9 children per woman in 2026, life expectancy is rising and the share of older people is increasing. At the same time, Paraguay remains a relatively young country and its population is still growing. There are striking differences between current figures from Paraguay's INE and the UN World Population Prospects. INE puts the 2026 population at about 6.46 million, with a median age of 29.4 and 8.9% aged 65 or older; the UN series gives about 7.01 million people for 2025, a median age of 28 and 6.7% aged 65+. The differences result from separate statistical and projection systems, but both point toward the same broad trend: Paraguay is ageing, gradually rather than suddenly.

Traveler assistance on international bus journeys through South America should cover every country on the route, medical transport, border delays, missed connections and baggage problems, with accessible support channels even without internet.

Paraguayan exports under the maquila regime totaled $1.01 billion from January to August 2026, up 26% in one year, with a positive trade balance of $481 million, driven by auto parts, garments, beverages and aluminum manufactures, mainly for Mercosur.

Paraguay ended 2025 with 16 banks, maintaining virtually the same number of institutions since 2013 and ranking among Latin America’s smallest banking markets, amid a regional decline from 551 to 524 banks over the period.

Paraguay and Argentina signed treaties in Buenos Aires on August 31, 2026, to facilitate the recognition and enforcement of court judgments and coordinate the international return of children and safe returns; the agreements still require domestic approval before taking effect.

A savory cake-shaped chipa presentation offered by businesses in Argentina drew comments from Paraguayan users on social media.

ECLAC has lowered Paraguay's growth projection to 4.3% in 2026, keeping it among the highest in a region expected to grow 2.2% on average, despite warnings about vulnerabilities due to commodity dependence and structural problems.

The price of Paraguayan beef reached a historic record as the United States suspends import tariffs for ground beef, creating a strategic opportunity for the country's exports.

Senave issued a sanitary alert against the cassava 'Witches' Broom' pest that threatens food security and warned that the El Niño phenomenon may favor the emergence of other pests in various crops.

South America recorded a record grain harvest in 2026, with historic production in Paraguay, recovery in Argentina, and record-breaking output in Brazil, reshaping the global food supply.

A tomato oversupply in Paraguay, caused by weather conditions and expanded planting, threatens to cause a sharp drop in prices, while authorities monitor the situation and producers warn of the need for market balance.

Paraguayan exports of soybeans and derivatives totaled $3.5 billion in the first seven months of 2026, a 41% growth compared to the previous year, with Argentina as the main destination.

Swiss chef Javier Rocca, after traveling to 62 countries, chose Paraguay to live and do business, highlighting the country's economic stability, social peace, and banking system as decisive factors.

H&M has opened its first store in Paraguay, with a second unit scheduled for next week, and confirmed plans to expand to Argentina in 2027, as part of its growth strategy in Latin America.

Paraguay's hotel sector recorded 43% growth in the first half of 2026, with an average occupancy of 61% driven mainly by business tourism and markets from Argentina and Brazil.

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has enacted the law approving the Mercosur agreement to provide consular assistance to citizens in countries where their nation lacks representation.

The USDA projects a favorable scenario for the global soybean supply in the 2026/27 crop year, while cereal production is expected to face a tighter supply.

The Paraguayan passport rose to 28th place in the global ranking in July 2026, with visa-free access to 145 countries, rounding out the list of the ten most powerful in the Americas, behind Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and others.

President Lula defended military spending by citing a Paraguayan invasion of Brazil, while Paraguayan historians dispute this version, attributing the start of the war to Brazilian intervention in Uruguay.

The World Bank has kept Paraguay in the upper-middle-income category, a position shared by the majority of South American countries, while Uruguay and Chile are classified as high-income and Bolivia as lower-middle-income.

Paraguayan banana producers warn of a crisis in the sector, which supports over 20,000 families, due to the devaluation of the dollar against the guaraní, which harms exports, and a widespread increase in operational costs.

An expert reports that approximately one thousand flights carrying cocaine land monthly on clandestine airstrips in Paraguay, primarily in the Central region bordering the Paraguay River. From there, the drugs travel via the Paraguay-Paraná waterway to Europe or overland to Brazil and Argentina, in an operation facilitated by bribes and low state capacity.