MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

BYD ship reaches Argentina with record delivery of nearly 5,800 electric and hybrid vehicles

BYD framed the shipment as both a logistics milestone and a strategic expansion step

The BYD Changzhou car carrier docked on Monday at Terminal Zárate, in Argentina’s Buenos Aires province, and unloaded around 5,800 hybrid and electric vehicles shipped from China—described by local coverage as the largest single import landing of its kind in the country.

The arrival followed days of political sparring over President Javier Milei’s market-opening agenda and the scope of incentives tied to “new energy” vehicles. The dispute intensified after comments by Economy Minister Luis Caputo and criticism from opposition figures—including Miguel Ángel Pichetto—who questioned the impact of large-scale imports on domestic manufacturing.

 

 

 

 

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A key point in the debate is tariff treatment. Argentina has been moving ahead with a framework aimed at easing electric and hybrid vehicle imports through quotas and eligibility rules, including FOB price caps by powertrain category, as reported by local business media.

BYD framed the shipment as both a logistics milestone and a strategic expansion step. Stephen Deng, the company’s Argentina country manager, said the firm’s shipping capacity helps it operate “at scale, with efficiency and lower emissions,” while expanding dealerships and broadening the model lineup in the local market.

The Changzhou is a next-generation vehicle carrier with a 199.9-meter length and capacity for up to 7,000 cars, using dual-fuel LNG propulsion—an arrangement that the company and sector outlets link to lower maritime emissions versus conventional fuel-only operations.