Argentine Yerba Mate Exports to China Surge 88% Since 2021

“Our exports have doubled since last year,” Juan Luis Lorenzo, a local producer involved in the direct exports of yerba mate to China, said. The increase in exports by Lorenzo’s cooperative reflects the broader rise in yerba mate exports from Argentina to China, which have increased by 88 per cent since 2021, according to Argentina’s National Institute of Statistics and Census. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, Argentina exported around 214,000kg (471,789 lbs) of yerba mate to China. As a result, the drink has become associated with health, energy and well-being.