Mexico to raise tariffs on Chinese, Asian imports

Mexico’s Senate approved on Wednesday tariff hikes of up to 50 percent on imports from China and several Asian countries starting next year, in an effort to bolster local industries despite opposition from business groups and affected governments.

The proposal, passed earlier by the lower house, will raise or impose new duties of up to 50 percent from 2026 on certain goods such as autos, auto parts, textiles, clothing, plastics, and steel from countries without trade deals with Mexico, including China, India, South Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia. The majority of products will face tariffs of up to 35 percent.

The approved bill is less stringent than an earlier version that stalled in the lower house this autumn, with about 1,400 tariff lines – mostly textiles, apparel, steel, auto parts, plastics, and footwear. The legislation now reduces duties on roughly two-thirds of them compared with the original proposal.

China’s Ministry of Commerce reiterated its opposition to all forms of unilateral tariff hikes, urging Mexico to promptly reverse what it called unilateral and protectionist measures. 

The spokesperson stated that while the newly passed proposal includes some modifications to the September version, it would still harm the interests of the relevant trading partners if implemented.

Staff reporter and Reuters