Among all the challenges facing transportation in Mexico, hidden from the public eye is the problem caused by Chinese e-commerce platforms and their allies , which in addition to affecting local manufacturing and products, has also profoundly impacted transportation, mainly the last mile .
The aggressive expansion of online platforms such as Temu, Shein, and AliExpress has meant increased competition for domestic companies and a dramatic reduction in available transport operators. Those that have survived have done so thanks to sound financial management and by taking advantage of opportunities to diversify their businesses.
“The entire transportation business is suffering in Mexico. There are fewer and fewer carriers and more and more demand. And this has a name and surname: the Chinese competitor,” says Alexis Patjane, general manager of 99minutos , in an interview with T21.
For some time now, some industries have been working to create a level playing field in the country with respect to foreign companies that sell undervalued products, a practice better known as dumping, which puts many companies out of competition.
For example, the National Chamber of the Textile Industry (Canaintex) highlighted that a decade ago, the textile industry represented 3.6% of GDP; however, today this percentage has dropped to 1.8% due to an increase in undervalued merchandise entering the country, and the loss of more than 70,000 jobs in the industry in recent years.
Silvia Armendáriz, Trade Compliance Manager at Livingston International , explains that the Mexican government has begun closing loopholes that allowed many Asian platforms to evade taxes and regulations through package fragmentation, a common practice among large foreign e-commerce companies.
“Today, the authorities are requesting RFCs and addresses, and are applying general rules for all packages,” he asserts. But perhaps these efforts have not yet had the impact the local industry needs.
And transportation?
The impact of these practices extends to last-mile transportation , as Asian companies have arrived in Mexico with their own package delivery partners, who have turned “free shipping” into a reality, although this “strategy” also hides dumping practices, according to specialists consulted by T21.
According to Álvaro Echeverría, CEO of SimpliRoute , the country is experiencing a logistical turning point, where consumer demands are outstripping the adaptability of many local players.
“While Mexican companies are trying to become more technical, the arrival of foreign platforms with low prices, diverse products, and overwhelming order volumes has raised the bar in terms of operational efficiency,” he explains.
Furthermore, systematic dumping in transport by Asian players is quietly dismantling the national value chain.
Comment and follow us on X: @jenna_GH_ / @GrupoT21
