Argentina sees boom in e-commerce

Parcels from China have become an increasingly common sight in Argentina as more consumers turn to foreign e-commerce platforms to find affordable goods amid persistently high domestic prices.

In October, Argentine authorities noted that more than 4,000 different types of finished goods entered the country, the highest monthly figure on record. The vast majority of these were shipped by Chinese online shopping platforms like Shein, Temu, or AliExpress.

Chinese e-commerce platforms are increasingly attractive for Argentines who are constantly on the lookout for ways to deal with persistent high inflation and a chronic economic crisis. While purchases of consumer goods grew 62 percent year-on-year in October, shipments from courier and online platforms jumped 237 percent, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses, the country's statistics agency.

Its data show total foreign purchases added up to $1.19 billion, up 48.8 percent from a year earlier.

Families are increasingly looking to Chinese e-commerce platforms for a broad range of items, from clothing to housewares and children's supplies, which often cost less than local alternatives.

Vanina Anca, a 35-year-old mother, said she bought all her daughter's birthday items online because the products are easier to compare and significantly cheaper.

"I chose Shein first because it's practical and you can see everything: models, sizes, and everything is very well explained," Anca said. "Plus, with what I spent in total, I could buy half the things, or less, here in Argentina."

Some buyers also use Chinese platforms to source items that are difficult to find domestically. Retiree Marcelo Leonardi, 63, said he has relied on Temu since early this year to support his hobby of building 3D-printed remote-controlled cars.

"I bought accessories for the little cars I build: motors, wheels, etc," he said. "What I like most is that I can pay with Mercado Pago and without any additional cost." Mercado Pago is a national platform that allows virtual payments.

Marcelo now makes five to six large orders a year, often totaling around $3,000. Each parcel weighs up to 50 kilograms and takes 30 to 45 days to arrive.

A series of government policies have accelerated the e-commerce boom.

Argentina eliminated many import duties on small purchases under $400 in November, with tariffs on clothing, footwear, fabrics and yarn reduced.

Authorities also simplified customs rules for courier shipments, allowing faster and cheaper parcel entry, and broader deregulation has reduced red tape. In 2025, the government eliminated the prior import licensing system, which required special permits for many imports. As a result, total imports for the first 10 months of the year reached $64.6 billion.

Barriers eliminated

The elimination of duties and barriers made purchasing goods from abroad, particularly from China, more attractive.

Industry group Pro Tejer, for example, estimates that in a locally sold garment, taxes represent roughly half the final price, with rent and banking fees accounting for another 25 percent. By contrast, e-commerce platforms now pay no import taxes for smaller orders, maintain no physical stores and rely on subsidized shipping.

While e-commerce has brought various substantial benefits to Argentine consumers, the local retailers have found it hard to compete with those fast-growing cross-border e-commerce companies.

One of them is Jorge Pignataro, who runs a store at a bazaar in the Caballito neighborhood of Buenos Aires. He said foot traffic has fallen noticeably as more customers buy from home.

"For some time now, imported goods have been much cheaper than domestic ones," Pignataro said. "I'm in the city center, but I see clothing stores that aren't selling as much, and many new stores closed prematurely, not even lasting a year."

This unfolding shift in consumer buying habits reflects the broadly deepening China-Argentina economic ties.

The bilateral trade reached $16.3 billion in 2024, according to Chinese customs data. Over the past two decades, Argentine exports to China, such as soybeans, beef, and barley, have grown eightfold.

Apart from a trade partner, China has also been a financier and macro backstop.

Argentina joined the Belt and Road Initiative in 2022, and in 2023, a currency swap line was renewed between the People's Bank of China and Argentina's Central Bank, which helped the country conserve scarce dollars and keep trade flowing.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.