Domestic starches have had to face pro-subsidy policies by the European Union which have eased the way for potato starch into the Argentine market at very low prices. The same has happened with wheat starch and wheat gluten also produced in Europe.

In the particular case of wheat gluten, after almost 2 years of administration, Argentine authorities have finally decided to apply an additional anti-subsidy import duty to smoothe the situation for domestic gluten production.

Other significant sources of starch are the large quantities of Mandioca starch that enter Argentina from Brazil.

Potato starch is not produced in Argentina, yet a small quantity of Mandioca starch is produced in the province of Misiones, but this latter production is practically local craftsman production. Both products can, under equal conditions, substitute starches being produced by our sector. Nonetheless the total market penetration of these two items constitutes 10 to 15% of all the starch used in Argentina.

Regarding modified starches, new demands have lead to the development of new products that are preponderantly covered by the domestic starch marketplace. However a very limited amount of types of starch continue to be imported.