Much of what Mexico imports from China are intermediate goods utilized by Mexican companies to produce final export goods. (Shutterstock)
Mexico has doubled its trade deficit with China over the past 10 years, hitting nearly US $120 billion last year.
The red numbers rose to a record $119.86 billion in 2024, according to national statistics agency INEGI, the result of US $9.94 billion in exports and a whopping US $129.795 billion in imports.
Slowing exports to China helped the deficit to balloon as the value of items shipped from Mexico to China declined for a second consecutive year.
Much of what Mexico imports from China are intermediate goods utilized by Mexican companies to produce final export goods. One example is copper, without which the Mexican auto industry would come to a standstill.
The inclusion of Chinese parts in products exported to the U.S. makes them incompatible with the existing U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement (USMCA), meaning they will be subject to 30% tariffs beginning Aug. 1.
Mexico’s reliance on Chinese goods is attributable to the global competitiveness of Chinese parts and components, as well as the low integration of some domestic production chains, for example, televisions and machinery.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s determination to decouple trade with China (the U.S. deficit with China has fallen nearly 30%) will force Mexico to reconsider its own trade relationship with the world’s second-largest economy.
Since Trump’s first term, China’s trade with the U.S. has shrunk to one-third its value, hitting a 23-year low, according to Forbes magazine. In May, China accounted for just 5.89% of all U.S. trade, its lowest monthly percentage since 2002 and down from 17.77% in early 2017.
This dilemma is something Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard has addressed previously.
The CEESP, an economic think tank, issued a report explaining how “dependence on Chinese inputs and weak domestic substitutes will limit [Mexico’s] technological development and reinforce a pattern of assembly rather than innovation.”
Even though individual spending by the average tourist was down in May, a healthy increase in the number of visitors boosted total tourist spending to US $2.6 billion, a 6.3% annual increase. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico welcomed 7.93 million travelers in May 2025, up 18% compared to the same month in 2024, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).
The May jump continues an upward trend for the year, with INEGI’s month-by-month figures revealing that from January through May, Mexico received a total of 39.39 million international visitors, a 14.2% increase over the same period in 2024.
While the total number of tourists entering Mexico increased in May, arrivals by airplane declined. (Cuartoscuro)
Despite the positive trend, air tourist arrivals shrank in May, falling 5.6% year-over-year – the fourth negative month out of the first five months of 2025 (April saw a 0.2% rise).
On the other hand, cross-border tourists arriving by car or on foot increased by 28.2% year-on-year, reaching 1.71 million visitors in May.
Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez told the newspaper El Economista that the drop in air arrivals is part of a global trend due to a lack of aircraft.
“It’s not just Mexico; tourist arrivals by air have fallen in many countries,” Rodríguez said. “With the accidents that have occurred, there are planes that are no longer flying and there are fewer seats. It’s a global phenomenon.”
However, she said that trips by her ministry to promote tourism will begin next month in the United States and Canada to boost the airline industry. “In our case, we’re creating new routes and are going to initiate promotional activities,” the tourism minister said.
According to INEGI’s International Traveler Survey (EVI), 3.75 million visitors (47.3%) were international tourists who stayed in Mexico for at least one night, marking a 10% rise compared to May of the previous year. The remaining 4.18 million travelers, or 52.7%, were day trippers who didn’t stay overnight during their visit to Mexico.
Meanwhile, the INEGI report shows that in May 2025, foreign currency income from total visitor spending amounted to US $2.6 billion, representing a 6.3% annual increase. In particular, spending by international tourists was US $2.3 billion.
The survey noted that individual tourists spent nearly 10% less on average in Mexico, from US $366.27 in May 2024 to $329.88 this May. Gabriela Siller, head of economic analysis at Banco Base, which specializes in international finance, cited inflation and the exchange rate as factors in the drop.
The subduing of a large crocodile by Puerto Vallarta lifeguards revived concern about the increasing contact between the reptile population and Puerto Vallarta residents and tourists. (Protección Civil/X)
The capture of a 3.7-meter (12-foot) crocodile by lifeguards on a southern Puerto Vallarta beach this week has brought renewed attention to the growing presence of these reptiles along the city’s coastline.
The incident follows the killing of two adult crocodiles in the city within a week, including one found decapitated, with some of its tail cut offas well, inside the protected El Salado estuary.
Crocs will travel offshore, because the estuaries they like to call home have shrunk thanks to urban development in the Puerto Vallarta area, forcing them into closer contact with people. (Protección Civil/X)
In the Ladrillera area, a crocodile measuring 1.62 meters (5.3 feet) was discovered tied and shot in the head, leading to the arrest of two suspects, according to the Municipal Civil Protection Department.
Authorities say the captured crocodile was safely relocated outside the tourist zone. However, the frequency of such encounters is raising concerns among residents and visitors alike.
In general, Puerto Vallarta and its beaches are places of transit for crocodiles, according to Pablo Hernández Hurtado, technical manager of the Cipactli reptile house at the Centro Universitario de la Costa, a regional campus of the University of Guadalajara in Puerto Vallarta.
He explained that the rainy season expands local waterways, encouraging crocodiles to seek new feeding and breeding grounds.
Urban expansion and tourism have encroached on wetlands and mangroves, historically the natural habitat of the American crocodile.
As a result, sightings are now common at beaches near river mouths, such as the Ameca and Pitillal rivers, and in areas like Marina Vallarta and Holi Beach. Recent weeks have seen crocodiles spotted in the Pitillal River and even walking among bathers at Holi Beach, with some tourists attempting to feed them — a practice experts warn is dangerous.
Local experts and university researchers including Hernández estimate that the Puerto Vallarta region — especially around Boca de Tomatlán and Boca Negra — hosts 200 to 250 American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus). Approximately 30 to 40 are adults.
Authorities urge the public to maintain a safe distance, avoid feeding wildlife and respect posted warnings. While crocodiles generally avoid humans, they may attack if threatened.
Mexico City's anti-gentrification protests made headlines around the world. One Mexican shares her view on what led to the events leading up to last week's violence. (Medium)
This isn’t a rebuttal. I don’t claim to speak for all Mexicans. But I do want to offer another truth — one rooted in experience, memory and place.
Protests against surging mass tourism in Mexico City end in vandalism, harassment of tourists
Just how expensive has Mexico City become?
I still remember when The Economist’s global cost of living report was published in 2024. Mexico City ranked as the 16th most expensive city in the world — ahead of Milan, Munich and Washington, D.C. My friends and I stared at the screen, speechless. And then we laughed. Bitterly. Now we knew why our wallets felt like blackholes where money disappeared, never to be seen again.
Sarah is right: foreigners don’t set the prices. This inflationary spiral has been fueled by policies, incentives and market decisions made by us Mexicans— particularly those in power.
Tourism was always the objective
The truth is, Mexico didn’t accidentally become a tourism magnet. It was a calculated move and part of a broader economic strategy that began during President Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration (2012–2018). The goal was to diversify our economy, shifting from a manufacturing-heavy model toward services and tourism.
The “Visit Mexico” campaign was everywhere: billboards in airports, glossy spreads in international travel magazines, glowing write-ups in art publications about how the city had become the “new Berlin.” Remember the opening scene from James Bond’s “Spectre,” set in the city’s historic center?It still makes me laugh that we now have an annual Day of the Dead parade inspired not by tradition, but by a James Bond movie.
We laid the groundwork. And now we’re reaping both the benefits and the consequences.
Roma Norte is finally recognized as a genuine global treasure. That’s not necessarily a good thing. (Colima 71)
What does gentrification feel like?
My parents met in the early 1980s. At that time, suburban life was seen as the ultimate dream; with just a few years of hard work, one could afford a large home on a quiet street, creating an ideal environment for raising a family. I was born in 1990 and grew up in the south of Mexico City. I attended a private school, spent entire months on long family vacations and enjoyed a comfortable upper-middle-class suburban lifestyle. I was a “niña fresa.”
In 2008, I enrolled in Art History at Casa Lamm in La Roma, a neighborhood already undergoing gentrification at that time. To my parents, it was still a “barrio populachero” (a derogatory term for a working-class area), a far cry from the refined neighborhood they remembered before the 1985 earthquake completely leveled it. For them, my fondness for la Roma symbolized a descent into counterculture, as if I were auditioning for a role in a Kerouac or Burroughs novel.
In 2010, I found a tiny apartment on the corner of Jalapa and Álvaro Obregón. It was a 1970s building, poorly laid out but with a breathtaking view of Reforma’s skyline. Rent? 5,200 pesos, or around US $250 at the time. I rationalized it as a gas-saving strategy, though my parents were skeptical, of course. You’d have thought my sister and I had moved into one of the tenements from “Trainspotting.”
Those were golden years. Friends lived nearby in Condesa. We spent afternoons in cafés and libraries, haunted galleries and bookstores, drank mezcal in old cantinas where office workers, hipsters, artists and intellectuals mingled with a kind of bohemian ease. We felt part of something.
Roma’s (literally) priceless apartments were once seen as downmarket accommodations for only the most bohemian — or desperate — of the capital’s residents. (The World or Bust)
But by 2017, after the earthquake damaged my building, I had to move out.
When I tried to move back the following year, my landlord had turned the apartment into an Airbnb. The new monthly rate? 28,000 pesos, a shade less than US $1,400. Three times what I had been paying during my last year there.
Later, I found another place, on Puebla and Orizaba, and fell in love. One hundred and sixty square meters, two terraces, a dream kitchen, sunlit bathrooms. It cost 32,000 pesos (about US $1,600). I was ready to grow old there, but then came the pandemic. Six months without work and I had no choice but to leave.
The pandemic really marked a before and after in Mexico City’s dynamic. When I returned in 2021, my old apartment was listed at 42,000 pesos (US $2,100). Something had shifted. The neighborhood no longer felt like home.
Rents had exploded everywhere. Beloved buildings, like the iconic Balmori, saw prices triple. More foreigners arrived. My parents, once concerned, were now oddly reassured: the neighborhood looked better to them, more “whitexican” and cosmopolitan.
During the 11 years I lived in Roma, we didn’t just alter the demographics. We erased entire micro-economies, some of them operating since the 1950’s.
Hardware stores, shoemakers, corner bodegas, tailor shops, classic liquor and tobacco shops, tortillerías, fruit shops — all gone. They were replaced by bilingual cafés and curated restaurants, many backed by people like us: whitexicans with connections and capital, and a taste for aesthetic control. Gentrification didn’t descend on us. We caused it.
The protests were fuelled by xenophobia
“Fuera gringo!” is the battle cry of an emerging anti-gentrification movement in Mexico City. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Unlike Sarah, I didn’t see the “anti-gentrification protest” as a critique of capitalism or inequality. I saw it as something more visceral, more targeted. The majority of the signs didn’t read “Regulate Airbnb” or “Protect tenants’ rights.” They said:
“Gringo go home.”
“Kick out the gringo before he kicks you out.”
“My city is NOT your Airbnb.”
“Aquí se habla español.”
Why target Americans and not Spaniards, Germans, Argentinians or Colombians?
I think I know why. The perception — fair or not — is that particularly young Americans bring with them a certain kind of entitlement. They don’t try to communicate in Spanish, nor respect our culture, and treat the city like a party spot or a photo booth.
I don’t think this perception is accurate, but I have witnessed things that could be seen to support this.
In my apartment on Puebla, I lived across from an Airbnb that hosted a rotating cast of international visitors. Loud parties on weeknights were normal, and the visits of sex workers and drug dealers were occasional. That event that ended the building’s Airbnb era was a drug-fuelled rampage that culminated in the destruction of the furniture.
I haven’t seen it in a while, but there was a period when if you walked by Plaza Río de Janeiro, you would see a group of tourists sunbathing in bikinis. While they weren’t causing any harm, in a conservative country like ours, it felt disrespectful. Not criminal. Just off. Inappropriate.
Bikini-clad sunbathers in a public fountain caused a stir in 2023. (X)
Some friends — who now call me a “sellout”— have asked me in the Taste of Mexico videos we share on Instagram to stop promoting Mexico. I’ve fought with them and defended my work. Yet, I understand where the plea comes from.
I will always defend cultural exchange
Thanks to my multiple degrees in Art History, Journalism, and Sociology (I was unfocused as a student) I firmly believe that cultural exchange strengthens any society. Throughout history, I’ve seen how dedicated many foreigners are in their efforts to learn Spanish, integrate into our communities, show respect and gain a better understanding of this country than the average Mexican. Anita Brenner’s book “Idols Behind Altars” (1929) is one of many examples.
We, at Mexico News Daily and you, the audience, are living proof of the enormous effort and care that can be put into building this bridge between cultures.
So let me say this clearly: if you’ve been mistreated, insulted or made to feel unwelcome in these last few weeks, I’m sorry, not all Mexicans feel the same way. Sarah is right: fear often manifests as violence, but that will never be justification for xenophobia and violence.
These demonstrations — polarizing as they are — have struck a chord that will continue to resonate for some time. They reflect the growing tension points that define modern urban life: overpopulation, inequality, resistance to change, the fear of being displaced and the relentless precarization of, well, everything.
I was part of the first wave of gentrification. And so I find myself asking, not just as a citizen, but as an accomplice: How do you repair a community you fractured, without becoming patronizing or without offering cheap solutions and platitudes that might deepen the wound?
I believe that, like in any relationship, once you become invested, you start to care. This doesn’t mean that you have to agree on everything or always like each other — just ask anyone living with their partner. However, one thing is certain: you do not intentionally destroy or hurt what you truly love.
María Meléndez is a Mexico City food blogger and influencer.
President Sheinbaum claims Jeffrey Lichtman defamed her by saying she acts as a "public relations arm for a drug trafficking organization," likely referring to the Sinaloa Cartel. (Archive)
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has filed a defamation lawsuit against Jeffrey Lichtman after the U.S. attorney made derogatory comments following a court hearing in Chicago.
Sheinbaum is accusing the New York-based criminal lawyer of defamation after Lichtman said last Friday that the Mexican president was acting like a public relations arm for drug traffickers.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Arturo Ángel, winner of Mexico’s National Journalism Award in 2017, reported that Mexico’s Office of Legal Counsel (CJEF) had filed a lawsuit against Lichtman. A day earlier, Ángel had broken the news that Sheinbaum intended to formalize the defamation accusation.
On Friday, Sheinbaum complained of a lack of communication from the United States about Ovidio’s plea deal. “It should be very clear that we do not defend [cartel members]. What we want is clarification,” she said during her July 11 press conference.
After his client’s hearing, Lichtman responded to Sheinbaum’s criticism, calling the idea that he would seek Mexico’s cooperation in the case “absurd.”
He also compared Mexico’s inability to capture highly sought-after drug lord Ismael Zambada to Pakistan’s inability to capture Osama bin Laden while the Saudi terrorist hid out in Abbottabad, implying that Mexican officials are protecting criminals.
🗳📌 SHEINBAUM RESPONDE AL ABOGADO DE OVIDIO GUZMÁN: “FUE IRRESPETUOSO”
La presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum respondió al abogado de Ovidio Guzmán, Jeffrey Lichtman, quien calificó de “absurda” la idea de que México debía participar en el acuerdo de culpabilidad firmado en EU.
From Sinaloa on Friday afternoon, Sheinbaum quickly held a press conference on the quarrel, where she called Lichtman “disrespectful.” Shortly after, the Federal Attorney General’s Office released a statement demanding that the attorney submit documentation to prove his allegations that Mexican officials are colluding with drug traffickers.
In response, Lichtman referred to Sheinbaum as a cartel spokesperson in a social media post:
“Apparently the president of Mexico is displeased with my truthful comments about her corrupt office and government. She can call as many hastily convened press conferences as she likes, but the people of Mexico (and myself), know she acts more as the public relations arm of a drug trafficking organization than as the honest leader the Mexican people deserve.”
When asked on Monday to respond, Sheinbaum declined, saying she would not engage in a tit-for-tat with an attorney who defends drug traffickers. Instead, she said, the CJEF would file a lawsuit in Mexico, “because we can not allow such slander.”
And there you go. According to Jeffrey Lichtman, Ovidio Guzman’s lawyer, the reason USA doesn’t trust #Mexico when it comes to coordinating against the cartels is because of the Cienfuegos debacle.
With the news that the Mexican goverment recently voted to close dolphin shows across the country, what was it actually like to visit one? Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo resident Elisa Ashe went to find out. (Delfinti Ixtapa)
Recently, I was honoured to attend the birthday party of 5-year-old Michelle, the daughter of my friends Veronika and Manuel. When I found out the party was going to be at the Dolphinarium in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Delfiniti Ixtapa, I was thrilled. The opportunity to swim with dolphins has been on my bucket list for many years, yet I had somehow never taken the chance despite living near the location for so long.
Before I discuss my experience, I should acknowledge that not everyone believes that keeping marine life in captivity is a good thing. Some people think that dolphins belong in the wild and that conservation efforts should take priority over captivity. Indeed, the Mexican Senate recently passed a ban on dolphin shows 99-0, so the future for places like Delfiniti does not look bright.
Whether or not you agree with them, dolphinariums do bring joy to all ages. (Delfini Ixtapa)
Reviews I had seen, though, were positive, especially since this particular Dolphinarium had a therapy program for children with disabilities. I knew several parents of these children who had attended the program, and they had provided nothing but positive feedback.
Attending the party was an excellent opportunity to form my own opinion about it, so I accepted the invitation with an open mind.
I arrived at the party to find many children and their parents easily as excited as I was. Veronik, who, it turns out, is now an employee at the Dolphinarium as a greeter and salesperson, was on hand to explain how it all worked and what we could expect over the next couple of hours.
One of the many employees led us to an area down some stairs while another group finished up. A loud squawking from above echoed in the holding area, and we all noticed the beautiful guacamayas and a majestic owl high on the branches above us. One of the workers brought them down from their perches, and those of us who wanted could take a photo holding them alongside the birthday girl. (Of course, I did).
A half-hour later, another employee led us up a walkway to the pools, where three beautiful dolphins jumped and frolicked right before us as everyone there oohed and ahhed at the sight. The pool, I noticed, was sparkling clean.
The trainers introduced us to the dolphins, Chame, Chocho and Nena. They jumped, twirled and leapt out of the water, each time rewarded by a seemingly endless supply of fish from a cooler.
With a ban on dolphin shows now in force, what will become of Mexico’s dolphinariums? (Digital News QR/X)
Since there were so many guests, we were divided into two groups and led single file to opposite ends of the pools. We slipped into the water and stood on a wide platform, and then all took turns hugging our dolphin and touching its fins. It felt magical to be so close to such a beloved creature.
Our assigned dolphin, Chame, swam in front of our outstretched hands, and we touched its smooth, soft skin as it went by. Through it all, a photographer was on hand to capture the experience. Later, after an incredible show of more tricks, we filed back into the waiting room below, where screens showed photos the photographer had captured, and we could purchase pictures of ourselves.
Over the years, I have heard both the pros and cons of marine facilities like this one. Were the dolphins exploited or mistreated at the facility in Ixtapa? It didn’t feel that way to me. Judging by the number of fish they ate throughout their performance, I believed them to be well-fed and cared for. Perhaps it was my imagination or wishful thinking, but I felt the dolphins enjoyed performing as much as the appreciative crowd enjoyed watching them.
There was also a great deal of value educational-wise, judging by the wonder I saw in the eyes of everyone present, especially the children.
Mexican actress Cecilia Suárez ("House of Flowers") teams up again with director Manolo Caro with a star turn in "Serpientes y Escaleras," a satire on greed, ambition, and the Mexican education system that'll keep you guessing. (Netflix)
Now that we are halfway through 2025, it’s a good time to do an overview of the best new Mexican TV series out there that have achieved both notable popularity from the public and praise from the critics. I don’t intend to overshadow last year’s stellar offerings, such as “Las Azules” or “Como Agua para Chocolate,” but 2025 has been a great year for Mexican television, and still promises much more.
From poignant biopics and play adaptations to prison dramas and black comedies, TV networks and streaming services in the last six months have released Mexican series that include something for everyone. Creative and audacious, these series defy clichés and stereotypes. Enthralling, insightful and proudly Mexican, all these series have set the bar high and are worth your viewing time.
In no particular order, let’s dive in.
‘Mentiras, la serie’
Mentiras, La Serie | Amazon Prime | Trailer Oficial
If there is one series from 2025 that I wish everyone reading this would watch, it would be “Mentiras, la Serie,” (Lies, the Series), inspired by the acclaimed 2009 Mexican musical created by José Manuel López Velarde.
Set in the vibrant Mexico of the 1980s, this musical series tells the story of Daniela (played by the Mexican singer and actress Belinda), Yuri (Regina Blandón), Dulce (Diana Bovio) and Lupita (Mariana Treviño), whose lives intersect at the funeral of Emmanuel Mijares (Luis Gerardo Méndez) just as they discover that they all had been romantically involved with him — and are possible suspects in his death.
Gabriel Ripstein’s adaptation follows the female quartet as they unravel Emmanuel’s hidden history and confront the contradictions of their own lives. And “Mentiras, la Serie” is filled with thrilling musical sequences that engage the viewer to the very last episode.
With a dedicated cast, a handful of vein-cutting ballads and meticulous execution, this TV version honors one of Latin America’s most iconic and beloved musicals. If you’re nostalgic for ’80s culture, you’ll love this eight-episode re-imagining, which is now officially the most-watched title in the history of Amazon Prime Video México.
Chespirito: Sin Querer Queriendo | Tráiler Oficial | Max
One of the most anticipated Mexican biographical series of the first half of 2025 has been “Chespirito, Sin Querer Queriendo”(Chespirito: Not Really on Purpose), which chronicles the life of legendary Mexican comedian, writer and director Roberto Gómez Bolaños, whose television creations, imbued with an enduring charisma, crossed borders and exerted an enormous influence on the lives of millions.
Max’s latest Mexican TV offering pays tribute to Gómez Bolaños, both as a family man and for his legacy in transforming Latin American television. Starring Pablo Cruz Guerrero, the eight-episode series takes its inspiration from the 2006 autobiography, “Sin Querer, Queriendo: Memorias,” and has been written by the versatile comedian’s children, Paulina and Roberto Gómez Fernández.
Only every once in a while does a biographical series come along that’s truly a human and empathetic study of its subject, and “Chespirito, Sin Querer Queriendo” is one of those rare exceptions. It will undoubtedly deeply touch the generations that grew up watching Bolaños’ iconic characters, such as El Chavo del Ocho (The Boy from Apartment 8) and El Chapulín Colorado (The Crimson Grasshopper), and for those who didn’t, it’s an well-done introduction to a Mexican pop culture icon.
Following their formidable collaborations in “La Casa de las Flores” and “Alguien Tiene que Morir,” Guadalajara-born director Manolo Caro and the extremely talented actress Cecilia Suárez reunite again in “Serpientes y Escaleras”(Snakes And Ladders), a hilarious, biting and unexpectedly venomous series.
This Netflix gem revolves around the figure of Dora López (Suárez), a teacher of unwavering ambition who aspires to become the principal of her prestigious school. Dora’s well-thought-out plan has been laid out over time, but her life takes a drastic turn when a conflict between students pits the city’s two most influential and wealthy families against each other, a feud at whose center Dora finds herself.
Over eight episodes, the series shows how Dora’s ambition leads her to sacrifice her principles and ethical values, causing a strong transformation in her nature.
This intelligent satire on the educational system and human values — although at times it has some soap-opera elements — reflects on provocative themes like greed, corruption, ethical dilemmas and the weight of power. In the realm of recent school comedies, “Serpientes y Escaleras” ranks alongside the U.S. series “Abbott Elementary” and “English Teacher.”
Directed by Jaime Reynoso and Gerardo Naranjo, “Celda 211” (Prison Cell 211) tells the story of Juan Olvera (Diego Calva, who starred in the 2022 Brad Pitt/Margot Robie film, “Babylon”), a lawyer about to become a father, who goes to prison for a routine visit and gets trapped there in the middle of a riot. To stay alive, he poses as a new inmate and experiences firsthand the Mexican prison system’s dangers.
This Mexican production, a combination of intense action with psychological drama, adapts the Spanish film of the same name, itself based on Francisco Pérez Gandul’s 2004 novel.
The six-episode miniseries moves the setting from Spain to Mexico and incorporates the real events of a 2023 prison riot that took place in Ciudad Juárez. This harsh and skillful adaptation sketches a crude look at the shortcomings of the Mexican prison system and the violation of human rights in that context.
Fair warning: In “Cell 211,” things are said with knives and bullets.
Carolina Alvarado is a Venezuelan journalist and has devoted much of her career to creative writing, university teaching and social work. She has been published in Lady Science, Latina Media, Global Comment, Psiquide, Cinetopic, Get me Giddy and Reader’s Digest, among others.
The Baja California native won three of the five stages at the 74th Tour of Austria, finishing first with a time of 17 hours, 51 minutes and 18 seconds. Del Toro took home 7,650 euros (US $8,930) in prize money.
“I’m very happy,” Del Toro said, “[and grateful] for all the support the team provided to help me win this Tour.”
Del Toro, a member of the celebrated UAE Emirates road bicycle racing team, completed the 714.2-kilometer race with a 29-second lead over Ireland’s Archie Ryan. UAE teammate Rafael Majka finished third, another 18 seconds back.
Thanks to Del Toro’s hat trick, UAE leads all racing teams with 61 stage wins this season. That’s almost double the 33 wins of the second-placed team, Lidl-Trek, while Soudal-QuickStep is third with 26 victories.
Cycling News called Del Toro a “rising star” after he powered to victory in Stage 4, a 117.3-km ride through the Alps from Innsbruck to Kühtai that featured climbs equivalent to 3,500 meters (11,483 feet).
“The Mexican is already a stage racing force to be reckoned with, and he’s proving that at the lower-ranked Tour of Austria, where he and UAE have totally dominated the race so far,” wrote Cycling News’ Dani Ostanek.
Sunday’s victory was his third stage win in a row after Del Toro broke the tape five seconds ahead of Andrew August of Ineos Grenadiers on Friday. He won Stage 2 when he pipped August to the line after a 142.1-km climb from Bischofshofen to St. Johann Alpendorf.
Del Toro, who made his professional debut in January 2024, made headlines in mid-May when he took the lead of the Giro d’Italia, wearing the pink jersey from Stage 9 through Stage 19.
The youngster faltered on Stage 20, outgunned by Simon Yates of Visma Lease-a-bike, finishing 3 minutes, 56 seconds back. Still, Del Toro, the youngest rider to finish on the podium since 1940, completed the race wearing the white jersey awarded to the top young rider (25 or younger).
Though the Tour of Austria lacks the global spotlight of the Tour de France, Del Toro’s triumph there, combined with his victory at Milano-Torino in March, has set the bar high
In a letter to Sheinbaum, U.S. President Trump said the tariff was necessary because “Mexico still has not stopped the Cartels who are trying to turn all of North America into a Narco-Trafficking Playground.” (Donald J. Trump/Facebook)
On Friday, President of the United States Donald Trump informed Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in a letter that he would impose a 30% tariff on Mexican imports beginning Aug. 1.
“Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done, is not enough,” the letter states. “Mexico still has not stopped the Cartels who are trying to turn all of North America into a Narco-Trafficking Playground.” Trump also announced a 30% tariff on imports from the European Union, due to “persistent, trade deficits, engendered by your tariff, and non-tariff, policies and trade barriers,” the president said in a separate letter.
On Monday, Sheinbaum announced that the concerns cited in the letter would be addressed in ongoing bilateral talks, particularly the significant U.S. trade deficit with Mexico. She expressed confidence that Mexico would be able to negotiate a deal to reduce, if not eliminate, the tariff.
The new tariffs were a blow to Sheinbaum’s cabinet, which has made numerous trips to Washington to ensure Trump’s advisors that Mexico is making progress on the issues identified as priorities by the U.S. president.
In recent weeks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Mexico for being “very responsive” to Washington’s demands and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Mexico’s proposals “positive.”
The 30% rate would effectively replace the 25% tariffs currently levied on Mexican goods that do not comply with the existing U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement (USMCA).
The letter did not address whether USMCA-compliant goods would still be exempt from the new tariffs after Aug. 1.
Columnist for the newspaper El Financiero Enrique Quintana estimated that approximately US $150 billion worth of Mexican goods would be subject to the new 30% import tax.
In the joint statement, Mexico said “the first major task of the permanent binational committee will be to conduct the work so that, before [the tariffs take effect], we have an alternative that will protect businesses and jobs on both sides of the border.”
The bilateral talks involve Ebrard’s Economy Ministry along with the foreign relations, finance, security and energy ministries.
On its side of the table, the U.S. State Department is joined by the Commerce and Energy departments, Homeland Security and the U.S. Trade Representative.
“We have insisted that controlling the flow of weapons from the United States to Mexico, and arresting individuals involved in drug trafficking in the United States [requires] collaboration,” she said on Monday. “Yes, there is coordination, but part of [the responsibility] falls on us to prevent drugs from passing from here to there, but part of it also falls on them.”
Sheinbaum said her administration will continue working to reach a satisfactory agreement. “The most important thing for us is to ensure that employment is not affected and that cooperation between our countries is maintained,” she said.
As has been the case since Trump imposed the first of a string of tariffs on Mexico, Sheinbaum has declined to discuss retaliatory tariffs. In his letter, Trump included a threat to raise the tariffs should Mexico opt to retaliate.
The revived tomato tariff could increase prices of Mexican tomatoes by around 10% for U.S. consumers, resulting in a 5% decrease in demand. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
A 17% tariff on most fresh tomato imports from Mexico to the United States was expected to go into effect on Monday as the decades-old Tomato Suspension Agreement (TSA) comes to an end.
The TSA had allowed Mexican producers to export tomatoes to the U.S. without paying antidumping duties. Dumping is the practice of selling cheap exports into a foreign market to undercut homegrown products.
Mexican imports were exempt from a 20.91% tariff (“arancel” in Spanish) until the U.S. decided to reimpose it as of July 14.(Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
Mexican tomato exporters had previously agreed to set minimum prices to maintain the deal. However, the U.S. Department of Commerce decided not to revive the agreement during an April meeting with the Department of Agriculture.
“With the termination of this agreement, Commerce will institute an antidumping duty order on July 14, 2025, resulting in duties of 20.91% on most imports of tomatoes from Mexico,” Commerce said in an April 14 press release.
“The current agreement has failed to protect U.S. tomato growers from unfairly priced Mexican imports,” the press release reads.
Though slightly below the originally proposed tariff of 21%, the 17% tax is expected to have an immediate effect on consumer prices and consumption in the U.S., as well as on Mexican exports and jobs in the sector.
As of May 2025, field-grown tomatoes cost U.S. consumers around US $3.75 per kilogram, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Consumer prices are expected to increase by around 10% and demand could fall by 5% owing to the new tariff, Arizona State University professorTimothy Richards told CNN.
In the Mexican border state of Sinaloa, between 200,000 and 400,000 laborers work on tomato fields, according to the state government.
While Mexico enjoys year-round crops, tomato-producing regions in the U.S. are seasonal, with Florida growing tomatoes between October and June, and California from May to November.
The revived tariff’s impact on Mexico
“Mexico represents 61% of the total U.S. fresh tomato supply, almost double the domestic production capacity (…) it would require between 16,996 and 101,171 additional hectares of production to compensate for the lack of Mexican tomatoes,” American Action Forum trade policy analyst Jacob Jensen was reported saying by the newspaper Milenio.
The U.S. is Mexico’s top tomato export market, with a 93% share, representing an annual value of over US $2 billion.
“They can’t replace us because there aren’t many other countries that produce this quantity of excellent tomatoes at a very reasonable price,” Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegué said in April.
Some companies, such as Heinz, which uses only domestically produced tomatoes for its ketchup products sold in the U.S., will avoid the tariff.
Nevertheless, several sectoral experts, such as María Antonieta Barrón, an agribusiness specialist, believe the tariff will increase the price of Mexican products and reduce their competitiveness in the U.S. market.
Editor’s note: The article previously listed the new tariff on tomatoes to be 20.91%, based on information available at the time of publishing. The article has been updated to indicate that the new tariff rate is 17%, as confirmed by U.S. officials on July 14.
