Overview
- Media report an imminent arrival of 5,000–7,000 Chinese electric vehicles at Zárate, drawing fire from deputy Miguel Ángel Pichetto over dollar outflows, jobs and alleged subsidies.
- Luis Caputo countered that tariff-free EV and hybrid imports are limited to 50,000 units a year, with no more than half from Chinese brands and a market impact under 5% of 2025 registrations.
- The framework set by Decree 49/2025 and Resolution 29/2025 splits the annual quota between automakers and independent importers and imposes an FOB cap near US$16,000 alongside technical criteria.
- Market data show 612,178 registrations in 2025 while production fell 3.1% to 490,876 units and exports dropped 10.8%, as Chinese brands’ share rose to roughly 5.6% by December.
- Ford Argentina’s president warned that a heavy tax burden threatens competitiveness and investment, while the government promotes the newly signed Mercosur–EU pact headed for ratification with a 15‑year auto tariff phaseout.