U.S. Negotiating $20 Billion Argentina Package

The U.S. government is negotiating roughly a $20 billion package to stabilize Argentina, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, potentially including a swap line, an Exchange Stabilization Fund standby credit and purchases of Argentina’s dollar bonds. The announcement, made amid meetings around the U.N. General Assembly and a Milei–Trump meeting in New York, helped steady the peso and other Argentine assets. The World Bank pledged up to $4 billion and the Inter‑American Development Bank confirmed about $3.9 billion in multi‑year support for Argentina’s reform agenda and infrastructure. U.S. officials framed the measures as protecting American national and market interests and as a “bridge to the election,” while saying further details would follow. Critics say the package clashes with President Trump’s “America First” rhetoric, could look like favoritism toward an endorsed political ally and risks tying U.S. policy to Argentina’s election, and domestic interest groups warned of political and strategic costs. Washington has also pressed Buenos Aires to reduce reliance on China’s swap lines, calling those arrangements a long‑term sovereignty and influence risk.