Overview

• Payment-processor Transbank reports a roughly 438% jump this year in purchases made in Chile with Argentine cards.
• At a key Andes crossing, Argentine vehicle entries are up about 50% versus 2024 and more than 150% versus 2023, reflecting the scale of the shopping trips.
• Argentine customs has stepped up inspections at mountain passes and is fining travelers who exceed the long-standing US$300 duty-free limit.
• Analysts say efforts to hold the peso steady have left it 20% to 30% overvalued in real terms, making imported goods and Chile purchases far cheaper for Argentine buyers.
• Investors are pulling funds ahead of late-October midterms on fears the government could run low on dollars needed to defend the peso.