Overview
- The national government is preparing a fourth 50,000‑unit licitation under Decree 49/2025 with a formal call expected in late August or early September and first arrivals targeted for January 2027.
- Officials began informal consultations with automakers and importers, a process that Stellantis Argentina president Martín Zuppi confirmed the government requested on Wednesday.
- Industry talks focus on lifting the $16,000 FOB price ceiling, with proposals to move it toward roughly $30,000 FOB so a wider set of hybrids and EVs, including some pricier models, could qualify for the 0% import tariff.
- The program has already reshaped the market because late deliveries from 2025 overlapped the 2026 cup, producing nearly 80,000 duty‑free units and lifting electrified vehicles to about 12% of new‑car registrations while Chinese brands such as BYD gained substantial share.
- Any change to the FOB cap or to allocation and adjudication rules could broaden competition and consumer choice but may raise final retail prices and will require the government to decide how to reallocate the 25,000/25,000 split used in earlier calls.