BUENOS AIRES (VINnews) – Argentines are scooping up Apple computers, Lego sets and Stanley thermoses from overseas as President Javier Milei’s libertarian reforms dismantle long-standing tariffs and import controls, according to a Financial Times report citing official data.

Consumer goods imports surged 55% in 2025 from the previous year, reaching a record $11.4 billion, the data show. Cross-border online shopping grew even faster, with purchases through international e-commerce platforms nearly tripling to a record $955 million as Amazon, Shein and Temu established a foothold in the country for the first time.

The boom follows Milei’s rollback of protectionist policies that had made foreign products scarce and expensive. Among top sellers on regional e-commerce site Tiendamia last year were a Harry Potter Lego flying car set, Apple’s 2024 Mac Mini and a 940-milliliter Stanley flask.

“Argentina sales increased 55% year on year in 2025,” Tiendamia country manager Santiago García Milán said.

Regulatory changes accelerated the trend. In November 2024, Milei raised the value cap for courier shipments from $1,000 to $3,000 and permitted individuals to import up to $400 in goods tariff-free annually.

The result has been a sharp rise in direct-to-consumer overseas orders, still a niche but rapidly growing segment after gains during the pandemic and the 2022-2023 inflation crisis.

“There used to be a big risk that your overseas order would get stuck in customs and never arrive,” said Natacha Izquierdo, a director at Abeceb consultancy. “Now everything flows, so you are seeing a big jump — albeit from a very small baseline.”

Izquierdo noted that Argentina’s overall import levels remain well below those of regional peers.

Global retailers moved quickly to capitalize. Amazon began offering free U.S. delivery to Argentina in late 2024 and later added the country to its low-cost Amazon Bazaar app. Shein and Temu recorded their first major sales in Argentina in 2025, as consumer goods imports from China doubled to $1.9 billion.

Social media has filled with influencers showcasing their purchases, and a Shein resale shop opened in Buenos Aires last year.

Price differences drive much of the demand. On Tiendamia, Stanley flasks — highly popular in Argentine culture — sell for about 45% less than at the brand’s official local store. International platforms also provide wider selection than domestic retailers burdened by high costs and taxes.

The shift has drawn backlash. Argentina’s textile industry, long protected by high tariffs, is pressing Congress to address what it calls unfair competition from Chinese e-commerce firms. The sector has lost 16,000 jobs — about 13% of its workforce — since Milei took office, according to the Federation of Argentine Textile Industries.

Tensions have also risen with Mercado Libre, the country’s leading e-commerce platform. Last August, the company filed a complaint with the economy ministry accusing Temu of misleading advertising and unfair practices. Temu denies the allegations, and Argentina’s Supreme Court is expected to hear the case.