Mexico proposes 50% tariff on Chinese imports; bans shoes, small packages
Mexico’s government plans to impose a 50% tariff on imports from China as part of its 2026 budget proposal, aiming to protect domestic manufacturers while responding to U.S. pressure, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.
The levy would apply to a wide range of products, including cars, textiles and plastics. Mexico imported more than $51.4 billion in Chinese goods last year, nearly 20% of its total imports, according to government data.
The Trump administration has accused Mexico of serving as a backdoor for Chinese goods to enter the U.S. and avoid American tariffs. Mexican officials have denied the allegation.
President Claudia Sheinbaum did not address the tariff proposal during her daily news conference Thursday. The U.S. and Mexico recently extended an existing trade deal for 90 days, keeping a 25% tariff rate on Mexican goods in place instead of increasing it to 30% under the Trump administration’s global “reciprocal” tariff policy.
In a separate move, Mexico announced Thursday an immediate ban on finished footwear imports, citing unfair competition that has hurt its domestic shoe industry.
“Finished footwear can no longer be imported into Mexico temporarily, because it is damaging that industry,” Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said. The suspension, he added, will strengthen local production and safeguard jobs in key regions.
Mexico also said Wednesday it would suspend small-package shipments to the U.S. through its postal service, ahead of Washington ending a tariff exemption for low-value imports. Known as the de minimis exemption, the rule allows packages worth less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty free.
The change, which took effect last Friday, was expected to hit China-based e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu, which have relied on the exemption to ship products directly to American consumers. Several European postal services have already made similar moves.
