(By Observer Network, Zhang Jiadong; Editor: Gao Xin)

According to Reuters, on Thursday of this week (January 1, 2026), Mexico will impose new tariffs on imported goods from Asian countries.

Mansanillo Port, Mexico - Reuters

The bill was approved by Congress at the beginning of December and will increase tariffs on countries without a free trade agreement with Mexico (including China, India, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and Turkey), with most tariff increases reaching up to 35%.

Foreign media generally stated that this move will place Mexico largely in the same camp as the United States. At the beginning of this month, the Mexican government had negotiated with the Trump administration and tried to lower the latter's tariffs on Mexico.

The Mexican Ministry of Economy stated in a statement: "The main purpose of this tariff adjustment is to protect nearly 350,000 jobs in sensitive industries such as footwear, textiles, clothing, steel, and automobiles."

According to statistics, these taxes will bring an additional $3.76 billion (about 26.28 billion yuan) to the Mexican government next year to help reduce its fiscal deficit.

President of Mexico, Sheinbaum (Claudia Sheinbaum) and her government members stated that the tariff increase aims to promote domestic production and address trade imbalances, and insisted that these tariffs are not targeted at specific countries. The government also stated that the tariff increase aims to raise the rate of domestic production in the supply chain by 15%, encourage domestic production, and replace imported inputs with locally developed alternatives.

Foreign media generally stated that the tax increase in Mexico has the most severe impact on China. Previously, Bloomberg had mentioned in related reports that the scale of trade between China and Mexico is large, which means that other industries besides cars may also face similar risks.

China is Mexico's second-largest trading partner globally, and Mexico is China's second-largest trading partner in Latin America. Data shows that the total trade volume between China and Mexico in 2024 reached $109.42 billion (about 764.74 billion yuan), of which China's exports were $90.23 billion (about 630.61 billion yuan), and imports were $19.19 billion (about 134.11 billion yuan). China's main exports to Mexico include electronic components, kitchenware, and automotive parts, while its main imports from Mexico include crude oil, electrical equipment, and medical instruments.

Regarding Mexico's tariff increase, the spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce expressed strong condemnation in early December this year, stating that "China has always opposed all forms of unilateral tariff hikes and urges Mexico to correct its erroneous unilateralist and protectionist practices as soon as possible," and called for dialogue between the two sides.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7589928735513330216/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.