The textile industry is in a critical momentproduct of a combination of factors that are hitting the different parts of their value chain. To one bad cotton harvest, The fall of the salesboth for the deterioration of purchasing power and by the Clothing importsmotorized by the boom of the electronic commerce platforms of China, such as Shein and Temu.
The president of the Argentine cotton chamber (CAA), Carlos Almirotyhe acknowledged Scope that, despite the fact that Argentina produces much more cotton than it consumes, “There can be imports” of raw material. “But not because you get cheaper outside, but for a matter of quality,” he explained.
And deepened: “We have had a campaign with a pretty bad quality of cotton For several reasons. One of them, the bad weather during the summer in the development of the crop and that has given as a product a cotton of quite poor quality. For certain textile products that a better quality cotton is needed, that is scarce“
He argued that “The spinnings have been finding out (the possibility of importing)what happens is that the price is very expensive to bring cotton here “, so it considered” difficult to get in general, beyond covering a bump. “
He stressed that Within the textile chain, import “is being given quite preeminence in finished products” since of “People who buy in those portals like Sheinwith clothes supposedly of a fairly doubtful quality, but at unusual prices. “
The fury of Chinese platforms
According to the Midterm 2025 report of the Argentine Chamber of Electronic Commerce (CACE), 33% of digital international purchases come from platforms Chinese. In particular, they considered “remarkable the rapid growth of Temu and Shein during the first semester”, since last year they did not even appear in the ranking. Disaggregated the data, first it was Aliexpresswith 15%; Sheinwith 10% and Temuwith 8%.
The Cace explained that “since December 2024, Argentina implemented measures to simplify international purchases”, among which they listed: the elimination of customs tariffs for the first US $ 400 of each shipment, The import limit at the request of US $1,000 Au $ 3,000 was extendedand it was authorized to make up to five annual shipments under these conditions. “This facilitated the great growth of Temu and Shein that were not possible options for Argentine buyers,” he added.
That had its correlation in the imports of July. The category that grew the most was the rest, which reached a historical record of US $ 98 million. According to Indec, that It was explained “essentially due to the greater purchase of dispatched goods through postal services (Couriers), which increased US $ 75 million year -on -year”.
According to Analytica, imports via Courier “during the first seven months accumulate US $ 408 million (+258.2% AI), almost double 2024 and very close to the maximum reached in 2022 (US $ 418 million in constant currency).” Its volume is still low but the change in the ways of consuming indicates that it will continue to gain prominence, “they warned from the consultant.
In addition, in the July trade balance it was also found that in the accumulated of the year, the imports of lasting consumption articles totaled U $ S467 million, an interannual increase of 345.9%. In line, semi -driver consumer articles reached U $ S765 milliona rise of 91.9% in that same period of time.
The importing flood
Before consulting Scopefrom the Protected Foundation They explained that “during the first seven months of 2025 (January-July), Imports of textile products were shot 97% in volume, compared to the same period of the previous year“
They warned that “the increase was especially strong in the final goods, those of greatest impact on all local production links.” According to your estimates, The imports of clothing grew 123% year -on -year, “reaching a historical record”. The same observed with home clothing, which increased 195% year -on -year.
In addition, they affirmed to this medium that “the current commercial policy has dismant “It has facilitated the massive income of Asian products at dumping prices and historical minimumsin an international context marked by the surpluses of stock in Asia following the commercial war with the West. “
The coup on sales, production and employment
In his last survey to the sector, Protejer found that during the second quarter of 2025, five out of ten companies in the textile and clothing sector registered a fall in their sales against 2024, with an average decrease of 7%. If compared to the second quarter of 2023, 8 out of 10 companies saw their sales reduce, with a 28%drop.
Production accompanied that negative trend. Half reduced its production level compared to last year, with an average decrease of 12%. Against 2023, that fall rises to 30%, with 8 out of 10 companies presenting casualties in production.
The drop in the level of registered activity impacted direct employment, With 72% of the companies recognizing that they canceled overtime, closed shifts and fired workers From the end of 2023 to June 2025. And they added: “In particular, 6 out of 10 companies reduced their template of workers in that period, Marking a clear contraction of industrial employment at the federal level. “
Source: Ambito
