The Chinese Advance Changing Argentina’s Agricultural Machinery Market

By Margarita Ruiz

Imported tractors already account for 28.4% of the units sold. There is Chinese equipment from US$12,000, and brands are moving forward with dealerships, distributors, and alliances with Argentine companies.

China no longer appears in Argentine agriculture only as a buyer of commodities. It now also seeks a share of the machinery business. In the first seven months of 2026, tractors worth about US$139 million entered the country, while imported equipment already represented 28.4% of tractors sold during the first half, compared with 16.3% a year earlier.

The advance is taking place in a market that, far from expanding, is going through a complex moment. Between January and June, 2,404 tractors were sold, 26.6% less than in the same period of 2025. Across agricultural machinery as a whole, sales fell 7.1%, and revenue, measured in real terms, dropped 19.6%.

But the datum that best shows the change lies in the origin of the equipment. China gained share in practically every power segment: in tractors under 18 kW, it went from representing 7% of imports in 2023 to 58% in 2026; in those between 18 and under 37 kW, from 37% to 72%; in those between 75 and 130 kW, from 29% to 66%; and in those over 130 kW, from 5% to 17%.

The opportunity for Asian manufacturers appears precisely there: a producer who needs to renew machinery but has less margin to do so finds imported equipment that, in some cases, costs considerably less than traditional brands.

Tractors from US$12,000

One of the names seen most often in the Argentine market is Chery, which already offers a broad range of tractors. In commercial listings currently surveyed, 50 HP models appear at around US$15,000–18,000, 70 HP equipment at around US$22,000–32,000, and 90 HP tractors at around US$30,000–38,000, depending on configuration and whether the price includes VAT.

The offering also rises in power. There are Chery 120 HP models listed at around US$60,000, 140 HP at around US$65,000, and 160 HP equipment at about US$80,000–85,000. In the upper range, 180 HP tractors appear above US$100,000, and 220/225 HP models exceed US$115,000.

It is a price structure that helps explain why the phenomenon began to make traditional brands uncomfortable. In 2025, for example, an Argentine producer said he had paid US$56,000 for a 115 HP Chery, approximately half the value of some domestic alternatives or major international brands of similar power.

Chinese brands gain ground (Forbes Argentina archive)

The landing is not limited to Chery either. Zoomlion, one of the large Chinese manufacturers of heavy machinery, already offers in Argentina an agricultural line that includes tractors of 50, 70, 90, 100, 130, 160, 180, and up to 230 HP. The company works in the country with a local commercial structure and seeks to expand its presence beyond construction machinery. It also plans to move forward with tractor assembly in Argentina and later add other agricultural equipment.

Another player expanding its presence is Lovol. The Chinese brand works in Argentina through TBDL, which already has more than 55 official dealerships in 15 provinces, plus an after-sales and spare parts structure. The company says the brand ranked among the top in tractor sales in the country.

The Landing Already Has Argentine Distributors and Alliances

Chinese expansion is not occurring only through importers bringing finished machines. Alliances between Argentine companies and Chinese manufacturers are also beginning to appear.

One of the most concrete cases is Bull Tractores, an initiative of Grupo Terranova, made up of businessmen from Grupo GR, Indecar, and Mandrile & Aguirre. The proposal combines Argentine development and technical direction with manufacturing of the equipment in China and final assembly in Argentina.

The Bull range covers tractors from 50 to 300 HP, and the proposal seeks to compete on one of the points where Chinese brands have their main advantage: price.

In May, for example, Grupo GR offered Bull 70 HP tractors from US$29,000, 120 HP from US$52,000, and 160 HP from US$66,000, prices published excluding VAT. The company had previously reported that it sold out its initial stock and opened a waiting list for new units.

The business model is beginning to repeat: large-scale manufacturing in China, adaptation to Argentine needs, importation, and a local network for sales and after-sales.

This allows Argentine companies to compete with costs that would be difficult to achieve if all components were manufactured locally, but at the same time retain part of the development, service, and relationship with the producer.

Seven Chinese Companies Arrived Together at Expoagro

The magnitude of the landing was exposed at Expoagro 2026. For the first time, seven Chinese companies came directly to the country’s main agro-industrial exhibition to seek customers, distributors, and business opportunities.

Agricultural machinery sales continue to fall (Forbes Argentina archive)

The list included CPS Agro, JCPLAS, ROC Fair International, Pairgears, TMW, Mingsin Tractor, and Zhejiang Honch Technology. Not all manufacture tractors: several produce spare parts, components, plastics, nets, and other inputs for agricultural machinery.

The fact is important because it shows that the Chinese phenomenon is broader than tractor imports. China is trying to enter different links of the machinery business, from the complete machine to the spare part.

Some of those companies already sell directly from China and are looking for Argentine distributors and customers. Top Metalwork, for example, manufactures metal components and spare parts for agricultural machinery and trailers and came to Expoagro to strengthen its commercial presence in the country. JCPLAS, for its part, seeks to work with distributors and customers that buy in volume.

For traditional manufacturers, the problem is that this competition appears at a time when margins are already under pressure.

The Challenge Is No Longer Only Selling Cheaper

Price explains much of the Chinese entry, but it is not the only factor that can determine whether the new brands manage to keep a structural share of the market.

For producers, issues such as availability of spare parts, technical service, financing, dealerships, and resale value are beginning to weigh.

This last point already generates concern among traditional manufacturers. CAFMA warns that the arrival of Chinese tractors is also pressuring the price of used equipment from leading brands.

The problem then moves to the entire chain: the manufacturer that sells fewer units, the dealership that accumulates used equipment, and the producer who discovers that the machine bought as a store of value is now worth less.

And there is another element that makes it difficult to size the phenomenon. AFAT estimates that about 3,000 imported units per year are not reflected in registration statistics, mainly among Asian equipment. This phenomenon also makes it difficult to measure precisely the real size of the market and the advance of new players.

The Chinese advance, in short, occurs on several fronts at the same time: cheaper tractors, a greater power offering, new importers, alliances with Argentine companies, dealership networks, spare parts, and the direct presence of manufacturers at the sector’s large exhibitions.

The question beginning to be asked in the industry is no longer whether Chinese tractors will compete in Argentina. The discussion is how much market they can keep and whether traditional brands will be able to sustain their prices, their commercial networks, and the value of their used equipment against a cost structure that allows Asian manufacturers to play on another scale.