ARGENTINA · ECONOMY
Key Facts
- What happened Argentina opened applications for its 2027 quota of 50,000 hybrid and electric cars at zero import duty.
- Price caps Caps per car: US$16,000 for mild hybrids (petrol engines with a small battery assist), US$18,000 for other hybrids, US$35,000 for electrics.
- Tariff Cars outside the quota still pay the 35% import duty.
- Deadline Importers and carmakers must apply online by 23:59 on Tuesday, 17 November 2026.
- As of Sunday, 8 November 2026.
- Power Index Argentina ranks 4th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 60.2 points (November 2026 edition).
Argentina has opened its 2027 quota of 50,000 hybrid and electric cars at zero import duty, with price caps of US$16,000 to US$35,000.
Argentina’s government has opened applications for its 2027 quota of 50,000 hybrid and electric cars that can enter without the usual 35% import duty. The rules are set by Disposición 451/2026 (an administrative order), published in the Boletín Oficial, the official gazette, on Friday, 6 November 2026.
The scheme lets carmakers and importers bring in cars at a zero rate instead of 35%. Each car must stay under a price cap.
For US readers, the story is a test of how open Argentina’s car market is becoming under President Javier Milei. Our earlier report on new rules for importing US-built cars covers a separate change.
What We Know
The 2027 quota is 50,000 vehicles. The disposition was issued by the National Directorate of Industrial Policy Management, part of the Economy Ministry, as number 451/2026.
Price caps come from Decree 49/2025, as raised by Decree 1128/2026, in force from 1 October 2026. They are US$16,000 for mild hybrids, US$18,000 for conventional and plug-in hybrids, and US$35,000 for pure electric cars, measured as the free-on-board value at the port of shipment.
Cars outside the quota pay the 35% import duty. Applications go through the government’s online procedures portal until 23:59 on Tuesday, 17 November 2026.
Companies that win a slot can give it back without penalty until 31 January 2027. The slots are allocated separately to carmakers and importers.
Who Gets the Cars
Half of the quota, 25,000 cars, goes to carmakers with factories in Argentina. Each starts with 750 units, and the rest is split by production share and by registrations of electrified cars.
The other 25,000 cars go to importers, and new importers get 20% of that half, or 5,000 units. Of those, 2,500 units go to firms that commit to build at least 20 charging points by 31 January 2028, a Monday.
Importers in the four largest size tiers that received slots before must show they used at least 30% of them. Those below that level receive no slots in this round.
Firms in the 2,500-unit charging-point reserve post a guarantee equal to the tariff saving on each unit at customs clearance. It is enforced if the chargers are not built by 31 January 2028.
Why the Price Caps Matter
Price caps decide which cars qualify, and higher caps may let more brands qualify. A car priced above its cap stays outside the quota and pays the 35% duty.
For more on how the economy and the peso shape car prices, see our report on Argentina’s steady peso and the 2027 election. Buyers also watch Argentina’s country risk, the extra yield investors demand over US debt.
What Is Not Known
The disposition, published in the Boletín Oficial on Friday, 6 November 2026, sets the rules described above. Still open are which models will qualify, how fast the slots fill and what effect the quota has on prices.
What It Means for You
For US investors, a wider supply of hybrids and electric cars is one possible signal that Argentina is easing trade barriers. Carmakers and dealers with Argentine operations will watch which firms win slots.
Travellers and expats thinking of buying a car in Argentina should check whether a model fits under its price cap. A duty-free slot does not by itself set a shelf price.
The next date to watch is the 17 November application deadline. After it, attention turns to which firms win slots.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Argentina’s 2027 hybrid and electric car quota?
Argentina will allow 50,000 hybrid and electric cars to enter at zero import duty in 2027. Without a slot, cars pay a 35% tariff.
What are the price caps for the quota?
The maximum import value is US$16,000 for mild hybrids, US$18,000 for other hybrids and US$35,000 for electric cars. Cars above the cap do not qualify.
When is the application deadline?
Applications close at 23:59 on Tuesday, 17 November 2026. Companies apply through the government’s online procedures portal.
Will cars in Argentina get cheaper?
Not automatically. A duty-free slot does not by itself set a shelf price.
Sources: National Directorate of Industrial Policy Management (Disposición 451/2026, Boletín Oficial, 6 November 2026); Decree 1128/2026 (boletinoficial.gob.ar).
In depth
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error