Trade liberalization exposes the structural vulnerability of a textile industry that lived under regulations for years
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In the first quarter of 2025, the consumption of imported clothing in Argentina reached a historic milestone: 67% of the garments and textiles consumed in the country come from abroad, marking an unprecedented record in the national statistical series. Meanwhile, only 33% of the garments are locally manufactured, a figure that highlights the radical transformation of the consumption pattern, driven by trade liberalization and increasing global competitiveness.
The data was reported by the ProTejer Foundation, an entity that has historically defended the interests of the national textile industry, and now denounces a "sustained process of structural weakening of the productive fabric". According to its latest report, clothing imports increased by 86% year-on-year in volume in the first quarter of 2025, while home textiles grew by 109% in the same period.
La indumentaria que se vende en los shoppings, el 75% son de origen importado.
The emergence of international e-commerce also plays a key role in this phenomenon: the purchase of products via courier grew to such an extent that the country's airports had to adapt and expand their logistical infrastructure to cope with the influx of packages from abroad. Meanwhile, 75% of the clothing sold in the country's main shopping malls is of imported origin, consolidating the trend.
ProTejer warned that this new reality could be causing "the closure of companies, job losses, and key links within the value chain", which, according to the foundation, could "deepen external dependence." However, these effects must be analyzed in the context of a forced reconversion of the productive sector that for years operated under the shield of tariff barriers and subsidies to inefficiency.
Javier Milei, presidente de Argentina.
Another revealing fact from the report is that, despite the notable increase in imported quantities, the dollar values of these purchases remained low. The foundation warned about possible "under-invoicing practices", following the elimination of reference values and customs controls, a measure implemented by the Executive as part of its deregulation and commercial transparency plan.
"Suspicions of under-invoicing practices that could have arisen in the wake of the elimination of reference values and customs controls are reinforced", the document states. For example, knitted fabrics entered the country in the first quarter at an average FOB price 45% lower than that recorded between 2015 and 2024, suggesting a redirection of global trade flows toward a country that is now decisively re-entering the world market.
