Chinese EVs Flood Argentina as Milei’s Free-Trade Pivot Contradicts Trump’s Tariff Strategy

A drone view shows a ship and electric and hybrid vehicles manufactured by Chinese automaker BYD at the port of Zarate, Argentina, on January 20, 2026. Photo: AFP

Over 5,800 Chinese electric and hybrid vehicles arrived in Argentina this week aboard BYD’s Changzhou vessel, marking an unprecedented expansion for Chinese automakers into a market historically closed to imports.

The shipment underscores how China has emerged as the primary beneficiary of President Javier Milei’s radical free-market policies, despite his close ideological alignment with President Trump.

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