“Things could always be worse,” “no bad time lasts forever,” or “it could have been worse.” These are familiar phrases that surface during periods of economic hardship. Yet rather than serving as warnings, they often function as hollow consolation. They soften the blow, but they also disable reaction. Instead of prompting analysis, they can legitimise inaction.
Looking Back to Look Forward
2025 was harsh for retreading in Argentina. It was not isolated; the entire tyre value chain, including manufacturing, imports, distribution, and services, operated under conditions of extreme complexity. What had appeared as a latent risk earlier, associated with the growing inflow of low-cost Asian tyres, became a reality that struck the industry with force.
A retrospective look provides context. In 2024, the sector showed clear signs of institutional reorganisation. The Asociación de Reconstructores Argentinos de Neumáticos (ARAN) regained visibility through regional meetings across the country and active participation in Latin American forums, which helped strengthen ties, rebuild dialogue, and project a shared agenda. For that reason, the contraction of 2025 was felt more deeply; it presented an industrial cohesion crisis.
One of the primary lessons was internal. 2025 exposed unresolved tensions. Under extreme commercial pressure, defensive behaviours, short-term disputes, and a lack of solidarity surfaced, ultimately eroding the perceived value of retreading. The outcome was unequivocal: historically low market prices in regional comparison and a cost relationship between retreads and new tyres that is likely without precedent. This damage was not exclusively external; to a significant extent, it was self-inflicted.
The fragility of certain entrenched narratives also became evident. There was no “Chinese invasion” in Argentina. That explanation oversimplifies a more uncomfortable reality. The import and commercialisation of low-cost, low-quality Asian tyres were primarily driven by domestic companies, many of which were opportunistic, possessed no track record in the sector, and maintained only a temporary presence. These importers found fertile ground in 2025.
The core issue remains quality and systemic impact. Competing against budget tyres is virtually impossible in a country with structurally high operating costs. Energy, logistics, taxation, and financing all combine to create an adverse environment. Furthermore, low-quality tyres quickly become an environmental liability, shifting disposal costs onto the system and society.
Macroeconomics completed the picture. Argentina has yet to achieve a sustained recovery, and many sectors experienced significant declines. In the case of tyre retreading, the average contraction was approximately 40%. The sector, in many cases, failed to adapt in time, choosing to resist without restructuring.
Foreign trade policies are central to this landscape. Current regulations, grounded in a broad trade-opening approach with no sector-specific corrective instruments, show no signs of changing in the short term.
The future of Argentine retreading depends on the sector itself, not on a favourable cycle or economic policy shifts. It depends on rebuilding discipline, value, and a collective vision. From ARAN’s perspective, the commitment to 2026 is clear: to elevate retreading as a strategic industrial activity linked to road safety, economic efficiency, and environmental sustainability.
