The conclusion starts with: The Latin American market is changing from middleman to direct procurement, and the two puzzles of logistics and purchasing willingness are already in place at the same time. In the first eight months of 2026, my country's imports and exports to Latin America increased by 14.5% year-on-year (General Administration of Customs of China）。There are two hard changes that underpin this growth rate: First, after the Port of Ciancai in Peru was put into operation in November 2024, the direct flight time from South America to Asia was shortened from 35 days to 25 days, and logistics costs dropped significantly; Second, at the 137th Canton Fair, the number of buyers from South American countries such as Argentina and Brazil increased significantly. Many local retailers began to bypass middlemen and fly directly to China to find source factories. During the same period, many countries in the Southern Common Market also publicly expressed their hope to revitalize dialogue with China.
Looking further, this incident occurred in a larger context: in the first eight months of 2026, my country's import and export of goods trade was 34.78 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 17.6%, and exports were 20.17 trillion yuan, an increase of 14.6%. Imports were 14.61 trillion yuan, an increase of 22%; Imports and exports to Belt and Road countries were 17.74 trillion yuan, an increase of 15.9%, and to Africa increased by 18.5%, achieving double import and export growth with 112 countries and regions. In other words, the 14.5% in Latin America is not an isolated example, but one of the many blooms of China's foreign trade. Whoever can first translate this situation into an executable order-taking action will get the order first.
1. 14.5% and 10 days, what were changed respectively
14.5% changes the quantity, and 10 days changes the account. The two directions are completely different.
- Imports and exports to Latin America increased by 14.5%, indicating that the demand side is expanding rather than competing stocks.
- Qiankai Port has reduced direct flights from South America to Asia from 35 days to 25 days, which means that your capital turnover cycle has moved forward by about 10 days overall, and inventory occupancy and exchange rate risk have dropped simultaneously.
- Many countries in MERCOSUR hope to revitalize dialogue with China, which means that communication channels at the level of follow-up rules are opening.
2. How to calculate the logistics account correctly
In the past, the pain points of South American orders were very specific: long shipping times, difficulty in LCL, and uncertain arrival time. After the direct flight turned 35 days into 25 days, every link in the chain became loose: customers dared to place larger orders because they did not have to keep the goods at sea for two months; factories dared to schedule more stable production because the delivery period was predictable; the feasibility of after-sales and replenishment was also improved.
But be aware that logistics improvements will not automatically turn into your order. It just lowers the threshold. Next, it will be determined who has a clear quotation structure, complete certification, and stable delivery. Writing these three things on a page and sending them to customers is more useful than repeatedly emphasizing the price.
3. Buyers bypass middlemen and the negotiation table changes
An intuitive phenomenon on the 137th Canton Fair is that there are significantly more local retailers in Argentina, Brazil and other countries. The purpose of their coming is very clear-to skip the middlemen and go straight to the source. The characteristics of this type of buyer should be kept in mind:
- The decision-making chain is short. He can make the decision himself and does not need to go to higher levels for approval.
- Pay attention to supply stability. Once he was out of stock, his local shelves were empty.
- It is more friendly to small batches and multiple batches. He is willing to try the order first and then gradually increase the volume.
For factories, this is a good thing and a test: the good thing is that the gross profit margin is higher than that given to middlemen. The test is that your product information, prototype, certification and English communication skills must be able to support direct dialogue.
4. Risks that need to be paid attention to in this wave of traffic in Latin America
I must remind you. Mexico will impose tariffs of up to 50% on 1463 goods starting from January 2026, which will directly affect the plan to use Mexico as a springboard to enter the North American market. On the other hand, the United States has strictly checked the qualifications of IOR importers and required the submission of Form 5106 since September 18. The risk of relying on third-party agents for customs clearance is increasing. To make a Latin American route, compliance with destination country tariffs and entrepot routes must be part of the offer, rather than after the fact.
5. Write down the key figures for the first 8 months
| indicators | Amount or value | Year-on-year or change |
|---|---|---|
| Import and export to Latin America | First 8 months of 2026 | +14.5% |
| Direct flights from South America to Asia | Shortened from 35 days to 25 days | Reduce 10 days |
| National goods trade import and export | 34.78 trillion yuan | +17.6% |
| Import and export to Belt and Road countries | 17.74 trillion yuan | +15.9% |
| Mexico imposes additional tariffs on goods | 1463 species | Up to 50% |
6. Three things to do before the factory receives an order
- Calculate the cost structure first.Separate shipping, tariffs, certification, and packaging, and don't use one total price to cover all markets.
- Make the data into a directly purchasable version.For specifications, certification lists, MOQ and delivery schedules, customers will have to ask for three more rounds of questions if they are missing anything.
- Arrange a production line for small batch test orders.The first step for direct mining customers in South America is almost always a trial order. Whether they can catch the trial order determines whether there is a big order behind them.
7. Three issues that factory owners are most concerned about
1. Latin American customers require a small MOQ. Is it worth it?
It's worth it, but the cost must be designed according to the test order. In the first eight months, imports and exports to Latin America increased by 14.5%. The market is expanding, and the conversion probability of trial order customers is higher than that of mature markets. The approach is to set a separate minimum batch number for the test order, and list the mold and proofing costs separately, so that customers can see how the unit price will decrease after the scale increases, rather than rejecting the small order at the beginning.
2. How did the 10 days brought by Qiankai Port become my advantage?
Write it in the delivery clause. In the past, the quotation habit was to leave a buffer based on a 35-day shipping schedule. Now that you have a direct flight of 25 days, you can shorten the overall delivery time or make stocking under the same delivery time more leisurely. For customers, these 10 days mean less capital occupation and a lower risk of out-of-stock, which are a bargaining chip that can be used directly to negotiate prices. Be careful not to use it as a tool for price wars. Delivery advantage is more difficult to replace than price advantage.
3. Latin America and Africa, which should we do first?
Look at your existing product line. Africa has stronger demand for intermediate goods and building materials. China-Africa trade increased by 23.3% in the first eight months; Latin American direct buyers prefer finished consumer products, with a growth rate of 14.5%. If your products are more equipment, parts, and building materials, Africa will give priority; if your products are more consumer goods and retail finished products, Latin America will be easier to start. You can do it in both markets, but don't use the same set of quotes and information to deal with it.
8. Conclusion and action recommendations
Opportunities in Latin America are not in concept, but in three specific actions: logistics is shortened by 10 days, and you have to recalculate the delivery date; buyers start direct purchase, and you have to redo the information; Mexico and the United States are tightening rules, and you have to include compliance costs in the quotation in advance. In the first eight months, the growth rate for Latin America was 14.5%, indicating that demand is real, and the rest is the speed of execution. If you want to evaluate your factory's overseas plans, you can contact Qihang AI (telephone 180-0327-6609).
This article was written by Qihang Zhilian Trade Research Institute and was released on September 23, 2026. The data is as of the latest release of General Administration of Customs of China.
