Congress approves! Mexico slaps duties on 1,400+ items—up to 50% In a two-hour session on 10 December 2025 Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies overwhelmingly approved President Claudia Sheinbaum’s tariff bill, first tabled in September. The Senate followed hours later (76-5-35) and sent the text to the executive. Publication is expected by 15 December; the new rates bite on 1 January 2026.

  Taxation Scope  

Coverage: 1,400+ tariff lines across 17 sectors, lifted from 0-20 % to 10-50 %

Peak rates: 316 lines formerly duty-free now taxed; 341 lines at 35 %; 302 at 10 %; rest staggered

Sectors hit: textiles & apparel, steel & iron, autos & parts, plastics, home appliances, toys, furniture, footwear & leather, paper & board, motorcycles, aluminium, trailers & glass, cosmetics & soap

Target countries: all non-FTA partners, incl. China, South Korea, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, Nicaragua, UAE, South Africa. EU, U.S., Canada (all TLC with Mexico) are exempt.

  Sample tariff lines (full list on SNICE website)  

1、Textiles & apparel – 1,014 lines, 10-35 %

2、Steel & iron – 249 lines, 15-50 %

3、Autos & parts – 235 lines, 20-50 %

4、Plastics – 81 lines, 10-35 %

5、Home appliances – 18 lines, 15-30 %

6、Toys – 37 lines, 10-25 %

7、Furniture – 28 lines, 15-35 %

8、Footwear & leather – 67 lines, 10-30 %

9、Paper & board – 47 lines, 10-20 %

10、Motorcycles – 8 lines, 20-40 %

11、Aluminium – 21 lines, 15-35 %

12、Cosmetics & soap – 24 lines, 10-25 %

Beijing: “We hope Mexico acts responsibly and does not harm Chinese interests”

At a 12 December press briefing China’s Commerce Ministry said it “noted the media reports and will closely follow implementation and assess impacts.” While some rates—especially on auto parts, light-industry and textile items—were trimmed versus the September draft, “once enacted the measures will still materially hurt trade partners including China,” the spokesperson said, calling the move “unilateral and protectionist.”

China launched a trade-and-investment barrier investigation against Mexico at end-September; that probe continues. “Any agreement should not be achieved at the expense of global trade or China’s legitimate interests,” the Ministry added.

Mexican press: “Devastating impact”

El Financiero warned the surcharges “could disrupt critical supply chains at a moment when Mexico’s economy is virtually stagnant.” Sectors most exposed—electronics and autos—depend heavily on Chinese inputs. “Costs will be passed to consumers,” said analysts quoted in El Economista. Trade consultant Molina noted 77 % of Mexico’s imports are intermediate goods; higher tariffs “will raise production costs and act as a brake on GDP. Tariffs are never a solution—they distort markets, especially where customs oversight is weak.” Mexico, he added, “is far more vulnerable to friction with China than the U.S. is.”