Argentina and the United States on September 23 launched the “Andes-Atlantic Infrastructure Corridor”, a framework that could mobilise up to $7bn in US financing through 2027 to connect Argentina’s mining regions and Vaca Muerta with Atlantic ports through railways, pipelines, energy projects, ports and digital infrastructure, La Nación reported.

The initiative was presented at a US-Argentina forum on supply chains, energy and infrastructure at the Argentine consulate in New York. Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau represented the two governments at the announcement.

Washington described the corridor as its first partnership of this kind for global infrastructure and investment in the Western Hemisphere. The programme is intended to link US investors with opportunities in Argentina’s energy, mining, infrastructure and technology sectors while strengthening supply chains for critical minerals and energy, including lithium, copper, oil and gas.

The most concrete financing proposal involves Argentina LNG, the liquefied natural gas project led by YPF with Italy’s Eni and the United Arab Emirates’ XRG. The US Export-Import Bank, known as EXIM, has submitted an indicative, non-binding proposal for up to $6bn in long-term financing for the project.

The proposed EXIM financing would support the purchase of US goods and services needed to develop Argentina LNG. The proposal still requires final approval from EXIM's board and therefore does not yet represent an approved loan or disbursement.

Argentina LNG’s first phase calls for two floating liquefaction units off the coast of Río Negro with combined capacity of 12 million tonnes of LNG a year. Operations are projected to begin in 2031.

The project's partners estimate investment of $29bn through 2031, including about $24bn for pipelines, port facilities, processing plants and liquefaction units and another $5bn to develop the gas supply. Total investment over the project's lifetime is estimated at $51bn.

“Investing in Argentina is strengthening the economic security of the United States. The benefits are achieved by both countries. US machinery can expand our installed capacity and create skilled jobs in its country of origin,” Quirno said.

Landau said the administration of President Donald Trump was “very focused on economic diplomacy”, adding that EXIM was one of its most important tools and that Washington was using it “decisively”.

The announcement also highlighted a contract worth more than $1bn awarded to a consortium comprising US company Pumpco, Bonatti and Contreras Hermanos for the export pipeline system, although the contract remains subject to Argentina LNG's final investment decision.

The wider $7bn commitment is not a single loan. EXIM and Argentina signed a cooperation framework known as the US-Argentina Build the Future Framework to provide financing for projects supporting the corridor through 2027. The US Development Finance Corporation could also participate alongside private investors, while the document does not yet specify how the remaining funds will be allocated.

Potential projects listed under the corridor include the AMBA I high-voltage transmission line, estimated at $800mn and backed by an Inter-American Development Bank guarantee, freight railway projects involving the Belgrano, San Martín and Urquiza lines, freight connections between Vaca Muerta and Bahía Blanca, port works and projects linked to the Paraná waterway.

The framework also covers digital infrastructure, including a planned concession to expand and modernise Arsat's fibre-optic network, as well as possible investments in submarine cables, data centres and satellite connectivity.

The initiative is intended to reduce transport bottlenecks affecting exports of gas, oil, copper, lithium and other commodities. A US State Department delegation including officials from the department, EXIM and DFC is due to visit Buenos Aires, Jujuy and Salta in October to identify projects and advance potential transactions.

The US government said its financing tools and commercial network would support projects meeting international standards and using “trusted technology”. Effective disbursements will depend on individual projects completing contracts, financing conditions and final investment decisions.