(Bloomberg) -- Mexico has increased tariffs by as much as 35% on products that could impact its domestic textile industry, the Economy Minister said.
The government of President Claudia Sheinbaum temporarily raised to 35% the tariffs on finished clothing products, and increased to 15% the import of textile merchandise, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard announced Thursday during a press conference with Sheinbaum. The increase will be in place until April 22 2026, according to the minister’s presentation.
The decision exempts any countries with which Mexico has free trade agreements, like the US and Canada, and is not aimed at any country in particular, Ebrard said in response to a question about whether the policy sought to impact China specifically.
The minister, who didn’t detail the specific products that will bear the new tariffs, said the measure seeks to avoid job losses in the Mexican textile industry and to curb unfair competition. This year marked a low point in employment in the sector, with 79,000 jobs lost in recent years, according to the minister’s presentation.
“With this, we’re going to encourage the development of our national industry because a strategic objective of shared prosperity is to increase the national content of everything we consume,” Ebrard said. “The more Mexican content you have, the more jobs there will be in Mexico.”
The move comes as the government signals to its main trade partners that it seeks to strengthen the North American trade bloc. Incoming US President Donald Trump has voiced concern that cheap Chinese products are using Mexico as a back door to enter the US market, which could affect local production and jobs.
Mexico has already imposed tariffs this year on Chinese products such as steel, aluminum and plastics.
Trump last month also threatened Mexico and Canada that it would consider 25% tariffs on all goods from the two partners unless they reduce border crossings of undocumented migrants into the US and fentanyl trafficking.
Mexico has continued to say it will seek to strengthen North America. Among signals to its partners, last month the Mexican Economy Ministry started a so-called “cleaning” operation that includes raids that seek to combat the flow of illegal merchandise entering the country, mainly from China.
Sheinbaum’s administration also increased the amount of products that cannot be imported for the textile industry, Ebrard added Thursday without providing more details.
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