Imports hit by new tariffs are down 23%, with China posting the steepest losses

July 21, 2026

China shipping container — China, the main supplier of the goods on which duties were imposed, suffered the most as its tariffed goods fell by 28.4%, down from US $10.099 billion to US $7.228 billion. (Unsplash)

Tariffs imposed on imports from countries with which Mexico does not have free trade agreements are having a significant effect, with China being the most impacted.

Even so, overall imports during the first five months of the year from Asian markets — those most directly affected by the new duties — rose notably.

A BYD car dealership — Though Chinese cars from companies like BYD, MG and Changan have surged in popularity in Mexico in recent years, imports have slowed since Mexico implemented new tariffs in January. (Shutterstock)

The government reported on Monday that the new tariffs approved by Congress in December 2025 had reduced imports from the 1,463 tariff classifications included in the decree by 23.2% between January and May. These imports fell from US $15.383 billion in the same period of 2025 to US $11.808 billion this year.

China, the main supplier of the goods on which duties were imposed, suffered the most as its tariffed goods fell by 28.4%, down from US $10.099 billion to US $7.228 billion.

The impact also landed on other important Asian markets including Taiwan (down 32%), South Korea (down 22%), India (down 12.3%) and Thailand (down 6.3%).

The effect of the new tariffs is reflected in specific industrial sectors, most particularly the light vehicle industry.

In monetary terms, this sector saw a decrease of US $1.18 billion in import revenue, equivalent to 29.7% compared to the same period last year.

Auto parts also experienced a significant decline, with imports falling by 39.5%, while steel products saw a 30% drop and the footwear sector declined by 37.9%.

Meanwhile, the data released by the Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade of the Economy Ministry indicated that overall imports from Asia rose by 42.5%, up from US $108.97 billion during the first five months of 2025 to US $155.23 billion this year.

Taiwan stood out, its imports to Mexico increasing by 233.76% annually during the January-May period, up from US $10.77 billion in 2025 to US $35.94 billion this year.

This surge is attributable to the increased demand for Artificial Intelligence services, prompting Mexico to import more products such as data processing units (chips and semiconductors) from Taiwan.

Overall, purchases from Asian countries represented 49.85% of total imports. In contrast, imports from the Americas stood at 39.61%, nearly all of this total — representing US $112.6 billion — coming from the U.S. and Canada (92.2%).

Mexico-Taiwan trade, already growing steadily, has surged this year

As such, the growth rate of imports from Asia grew 8.5 times more during the January-May period than those from the American continent.

Still, the United States remains Mexico’s top trade partner, boasting a 34.32% share of total imports in the period from January to May, followed by China with 17.42% and Taiwan with 11.54%.

With reports from El Financiero, Vanguardia and El CEO