Buenos aires: Argentina's liberalization of trade has driven fashion imports to their highest level in 10 years, highlighting opportunities for Thai products to penetrate the e-commerce market. Ms. Sunanta Kangvalkulkit, Director-General of the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), revealed a report from the Thai Trade Center in Buenos Aires stating that by 2025, Argentina's imports of textiles, garments, and footwear are projected to reach their highest level in a decade, totaling over US$1.506 billion, a 50% increase. The main factors contributing to this growth are the government's shift towards trade liberalization and relaxation of import controls, coupled with the rapid expansion of major e-commerce platforms like Shein and Temu, which have made inexpensive imported goods readily accessible to consumers.
According to Thai News Agency, the influx of imported goods has put significant pressure on Argentina's domestic industries, which face high production costs from taxes, labor, and energy, making them uncompetitive in pricing. Data indicates that industrial production capacity has fallen to only 33 percent of its total potential, and more than 18,000 jobs have been lost in the past two years. Leather footwear and synthetic garments are the most imported categories, with China remaining the leading trading partner at over 31 percent of the market, followed by ASEAN countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia.
However, amidst the crisis facing local producers, the Department of International Trade Promotion views this as a "golden opportunity" for Thai products to expand their market base. Argentinian consumers are clearly becoming more receptive to imported goods, especially through online parcel delivery channels, which are experiencing high growth of 274.2%. Thailand should therefore leverage its strengths in product quality, modern design, and reasonable pricing to accelerate collaboration with local importers and e-commerce platforms to fully penetrate the Argentinian market in this period.