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MEXICO CITY — Mexican officials confirmed Thursday that one in five tacos eaten in Mexico last year was made in China, sparking mild concern among local taqueros.
Industry figures say roughly 20% of all tacos eaten in 2025 came from China, up from “basically none” just five years ago, when Chinese tacos were considered a meme and not a macroeconomic threat.
“Chinese tacos don’t have a single ingredient made in Mexico, and that’s exactly why they’re so cheap and so terrifying,” said Manuel Montoya, director of the Nuevo León Taco Cluster, staring grimly at a suspiciously perfect tortilla. “They arrive frozen, stacked and standardized.”
Consumers, however, appear delighted.
“These Chinese taquerías? Incredible,” said Mexico City resident Karla Jiménez, devouring what appeared to be a perfectly symmetrical suadero. “They’re half the price, never run out of salsa, and the robot server bows when it brings your lime.”
Despite the surge, authorities moved quickly to “level the playing field,” slapping a 50% tariff on all tacos imported from countries without a free trade agreement, including China, Brazil, South Korea and “any place where they think cilantro is exotic.”
Industry leaders argue the measure is not about closing the border to foreign tacos but about “balancing the market” so that local taqueros, their plastic stools and their delicately balanced salsas can continue to compete.
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