June 4 (Reuters) - Companies in Argentina are set to

face challenges related to politics, the economy and a surge of

competitors over the next three years, a poll by consultancy EY

showed on Wednesday.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The Trump administration has focused on international

relations through changes in its tariff policy, which adds

additional complexity and uncertainty to global conditions,

according to the report.

KEY QUOTES

"Generally, Argentina has found itself, until now, less

impacted than other regions such as Asia or Europe," the report

said.

"Argentine businesses prioritize operational improvements,

productivity and costs, growth in market share, technology and

digital transformation, strategy, and business transformation

and innovation," the EY report said.

BY THE NUMBERS

Changes in demand, consumer preference and behavior were

named as challenges by 27% of respondents, while 26% named

business risks and 21% named global economic conditions as

significant challenges in the coming years.

Around 49% of executives said they expected relations with

the U.S. to be good or very good, while 51% expect relations to

range from neutral to very bad.

Respondents consisted of over 1,700 top executives and

directors from 18 countries, while 150 were Argentine.

CONTEXT

The influx of competitors comes as another study recently

showed investment in Latin American startups growing

significantly, including in Argentina.