Mexico Proposes Import Taxes on More Than 1,400 Products to Boost Domestic Production

Mexico’s government submitted a 2026 budget proposal that would impose new import taxes on more than 1,400 products, a move officials say is intended to strengthen national production and reduce trade deficits.

Treasury Secretary Édgar Amador said Tuesday the measures would target "countries with which we do not have a commercial treaty," a description that officials acknowledged would mainly affect imports from several Asian nations. Amador said the proposed tariffs would be implemented within World Trade Organization guidelines and that the government would remain sensitive to any effects on domestic production or consumer prices.

Amador did not mention China by name but said the measures come "within the discussion and future commercial conversations with our North American partners." The announcement follows months of increasingly strained trade talks between Mexico and the Trump administration and comes as Washington presses Mexico to align more closely with U.S. policy toward China.

Mexico already has applied some targeted tariffs, including duties on selected textile imports introduced in December, and has stepped up enforcement actions against pirated goods arriving from Asia. The government said the broader package in the budget proposal is aimed at bolstering domestic production and consumption while addressing persistent trade imbalances.

The measures have attracted criticism from Beijing. Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the Chinese government, said in August that China opposes what it views as "restrictions imposed on China under various pretexts and under coercion from others, which harm China’s legitimate rights and interests." Guo noted that Mexico is a significant trading partner for China in the region.

Analysts said Mexico’s move will be watched closely by trading partners and manufacturers. Lawmakers in Mexico’s ruling party hold majorities in both chambers of Congress, making approval of the budget proposal likely, though the specifics of any new tariff schedule would require technical implementation and could be adjusted before taking effect.

The proposal arrives amid heightened tensions over trade policy in North America. U.S. officials this year have kept open the possibility of broadening tariffs on imports not covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement; President Donald Trump had earlier imposed 25% tariffs on some products outside that pact. Mexican officials said they are considering policy changes in the context of those discussions, but Amador emphasized the domestic aims of the plan.

Business groups have urged caution, saying higher import duties can raise costs for manufacturers that rely on global supply chains and ultimately lead to higher consumer prices. The Treasury’s pledge to adhere to WTO rules and to monitor production and price impacts appears aimed at allaying some of those concerns.

The Mexican government framed the proposal as part of a broader industrial and fiscal strategy to stimulate domestic suppliers, reduce dependency on foreign-made inputs and narrow trade deficits. If enacted, the tariffs would represent one of the more extensive protectionist measures Mexico has proposed in recent years and could reshape sourcing decisions for industries that import components and finished goods from countries without free-trade agreements with Mexico.

The budget proposal will move to Congress for debate and potential modification. Officials and industry representatives said the timetable for implementation would depend on legislative approvals and technical rules that determine which products and tariff rates are ultimately applied.