Importing from China to Argentina
From your 1688 link to your warehouse in Argentina. We buy it, receive it in Shenzhen, consolidate it and coordinate the shipment — and before you buy we tell you which regime your operation falls under.
Short answer
How do you import from China to Argentina in 2026?
Importing from China to Argentina in 2026 means telling apart two regimes that are almost never kept separate. The simplified puerta a puerta regime accepts shipments of up to 3.000 USD FOB, with the first 400 USD exempt from duties and the statistics tax during the first five shipments of the year, but it is limited to personal use and excludes resale. A seller importing to resell needs the régimen general de importación, which requires a CUIT, registration as an importer, a licensed despachante de aduana and the tariff classification of the product. MeliPrep buys on 1688, Taobao and Alibaba on the client's behalf, consolidates at its Shenzhen warehouse and coordinates shipping to Buenos Aires by air or sea.
Argentina route facts
- Customs authority
- ARCA (Agencia de Recaudación y Control Aduanero)
- Puerta a puerta limit
- 3.000 USD FOB per shipment, excluding freight and insurance
- Allowance
- 400 USD FOB per shipment, first 5 shipments of the year
- Regime for resale
- General, with CUIT and despachante de aduana
- Tariff classification
- Mercosur NCM
- Sea transit
- 35–50 days to Buenos Aires, customs clearance included
- Air transit
- 8–15 days, customs clearance included
- Typical puerta a puerta
- 45–65 days by sea
The two regimes, and why confusing them is expensive
Argentina has simplified and opened up its imports in recent years, and the part most talked about is the simplified puerta a puerta shipment regime. It has very specific conditions, and the most important one is the least often repeated: it is a regime for personal use and it excludes resale.
The rules require that there be no indication of commercial destination and they limit the number of units of the same product per shipment. A seller bringing in goods to sell is, by definition, outside that regime, even when the value of each shipment sits below the limit. Using it for resale exposes the operation to the goods being taken out of the simplified regime and made subject to the general treatment, with the delays and the costs that implies.
If you are going to resell, the route is the régimen general: CUIT, registration as an importer, a licensed despachante de aduana and the NCM classification of the product. It is more administrative work and, above a certain volume, it is the only sustainable route.
The rules changed with Decreto 604/2026 and Resolución General 5884/2026, and the values and conditions are adjusted frequently. The figures on this page are those in force on the publication date and must be confirmed for each shipment.
The two regimes, side by side
| Puerta a puerta (simplified) | Régimen general (commercial) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Personal use, no resale | A company importing to resell or to manufacture |
| Limit per shipment | 3.000 USD FOB | No value limit, subject to classification |
| Tax treatment | 400 USD FOB exempt; above that, taxes on the excess | Duties according to NCM, statistics tax, VAT and other general taxes |
| Frequency | First 5 shipments of the year with the allowance | No limit, every operation is declared |
| What you need | CUIT and clave fiscal | CUIT, importers' registry and a licensed despachante |
| Who clears it | The simplified regime itself | A licensed despachante de aduana |
| Units per product | Limited, with no indication of commercial destination | No limit |
What we do and what we don't
What we do
- Buy on 1688, Taobao and Alibaba for you, in yuan
- Receive all your orders at a single warehouse in Shenzhen
- Check, photograph and consolidate before shipping
- Remove the manufacturer's labelling and label with your SKU
- Coordinate air or sea freight and the export documentation
- Give you the quote with the product, the commission and the freight broken out separately
What we don't do
- We do not carry out customs clearance in Argentina: that is done by a licensed despachante
- We do not give tax or customs advice on your particular situation
- We do not move counterfeit goods, replicas or products that infringe patents
- We do not import prohibited items or goods requiring licences we cannot verify
- We do not take on the commercial risk of your inventory
Notice. Everything we publish about tariffs, regimes, the statistics tax, VAT and documentation is general information about how those mechanisms work, and it describes the process as we see it operate. It does not constitute tax, customs or legal advice. Rates, assessment bases and rules change frequently and depend on your situation as an importer. The decision about your regime is one you take with your accountant and your despachante de aduana.
Frequently asked questions about importing to Argentina
Can I use the puerta a puerta regime to import and resell in Argentina?
No. The simplified puerta a puerta regime is limited to personal use and expressly excludes resale: the rules require that there be no indication of commercial destination and cap it at three units of the same product per shipment. If you are going to resell, the régimen general de importación applies to you, with a CUIT, a despachante de aduana and the tariff classification of your product. Confusing the two is the most expensive mistake a seller starting out makes.
What is the limit of the puerta a puerta regime in 2026?
Under Decreto 604/2026 and Resolución General 5884/2026, the regime accepts shipments of up to 3.000 USD FOB, excluding transport and insurance. The first 400 USD FOB of each shipment are exempt from import duties and from the statistics tax, and that benefit applies to the first five shipments of each calendar year. Above those 400 USD, the taxes are calculated on the excess, and VAT and internal taxes may still apply.
What does an Argentine company need to import commercially from China?
A CUIT, registration in the importers' registry, a licensed despachante de aduana and the tariff classification of the product under the Mercosur Common Nomenclature. The company must be in a position to operate in the customs system, and clearance is always carried out by a licensed despachante, not by the carrier or the buying agent.
How long does a shipment from China to Argentina take?
Sea transit from Shenzhen to Buenos Aires is usually between 35 and 50 days, and air between 8 and 15 days, in both cases with customs clearance included. Add to that the consolidation time at our warehouse. In practice, a door-to-door sea shipment usually comes in between 45 and 65 days from the moment it leaves the factory.
Which products are problematic to import into Argentina?
Those that require another agency to intervene besides customs: health products, food, cosmetics, toys, electrical goods and certain chemical products usually need prior authorisation or certification. There is also a list of prohibited goods and of products under special control. We check the applicable scope before buying, because finding out with the cargo sitting at port forces you to re-export or destroy it.
Can I consolidate purchases from several Chinese suppliers into a single shipment to Argentina?
Yes, and it is the main reason to use a consolidation service. All the sellers ship to our Shenzhen warehouse, we combine the orders into a single shipment and you pay one freight, one clearance and one delivery instead of one per supplier. In Argentina, where the fixed costs per operation weigh heavily, the difference is substantial.
Send us the link and we'll tell you which regime it falls under
Tell us what product and what volume you handle, and whether you are going to resell or it is for your own use. We come back with the cost broken down and we point out which regime and which documentation apply to you.
We reply within 24 business hours. See how the process works