While in 2022 the sector suffered from supply shortages and record prices, the current 2026 scenario is marked by an oversupply of imported products and a 34.2% drop in the average price measured in official dollars. According to what Argentina News Agency learned, this price stability had a direct correlation with the national industry: sectoral employment contracted by 46.1% between 2023 and 2025, which the consulting firm PxQ calls the 'sacrifice ratio' to achieve deflation in the sector. Comparative: 2022 vs. Present To understand the magnitude of the change, it is necessary to recall the 2022 values, when the official dollar was quoted at $153 and the blue dollar at $288. At that time, the cost of changing the four wheels of the most popular models already represented a significant outlay: Toyota Hilux: from $3,921 ($600,000 at official) Ford EcoSport: from $3,137 ($480,000 at official) Chevrolet Cruze: from $2,810 ($430,000 at official) Peugeot 208: from $2,744 ($420,000 at official) Fiat Cronos: from $2,287 ($350,000 at official) Volkswagen Gol: from $1,960 ($300,000 at official). In contrast, the average price of a tire in 2025 was $157, with entry-level brands averaging $66 (such as Linglong) and premium original equipment options (e.g., Porsche) hovering around $229. Price Ranking by Brand (US$) The gap between national production and importation remains the axis of the commercial dispute: Bridgestone: 216 Pirelli: 185 FATE: 175 Market average: 157 Firestone: 151 Formula (Energy/Evo): 143 Maxisport / Goodyear: 131 Horizon: 121 Corven: 99 Linglong: 66 The social cost of opening The report links the current abundance of supply to the closure of historic plants, such as the case of Fate, and warns that the real drop in prices (42.6% below accumulated inflation) is explained by an 'oversupply' of imported tires in a context of weakened domestic demand. For specialists, the reduction of almost half of the jobs in the sector could become the main economic and political obstacle of this trade opening process.
