The Chamber of Deputies approved in general the ruling that reforms various tariff sections of the General Import and Export Tax Law (LIGIE) , an initiative promoted by the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, to adjust the country’s tariff policy and strengthen strategic sectors of Mexican manufacturing.
The project received 281 votes in favor , 149 abstentions and 24 against , advancing towards its discussion in particular.
According to the opinion prepared by the Commission on Economy, Commerce and Competitiveness , based on consultations with more than 40 business chambers, associations and companies, the reform contemplates modifications to 1,463 tariff classifications that cover industries such as auto parts, light vehicles, textiles, footwear, household appliances, plastics, steel, aluminum, furniture, paper and cardboard, toys, glass and motorcycles, among other sectors.
However, the approved ruling modified approximately 60% of the original initiative . For example, inputs for lipsticks saw their tariff reduced from 50% to 36%, and some textile products also experienced reductions to 36%. In contrast, tariffs on cars and auto parts remained at 50% .
The initiative proposes that tariffs cease to serve solely as a revenue-generating tool and become an instrument of industrial policy. The aim is to boost domestic production , encourage import substitution, and promote supply chains with greater regional content , in line with the 2025-2030 National Development Plan and the Plan México strategy.
According to the report, the massive influx of goods from countries without trade agreements with Mexico, primarily China, South Korea, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Brazil, Indonesia, and Taiwan , has put pressure on local competitiveness. The tariff lines subject to adjustment represent 8.3% of total imports in 2024 .
The Center for Public Finance Studies (CEFP) estimated that the changes could translate into productive benefits , greater use of installed capacity (currently at 81.2% in manufacturing) and a boost to import substitution , although it warned that it is not possible to accurately calculate the revenue impact due to a lack of updated data on volumes and elasticities.
The CEFP also concluded that the inflationary effect would be “limited,” given that the affected goods have a low weight in the National Consumer Price Index (INPC) and there is the possibility of substituting imports from countries with trade agreements. Even in the most extreme scenario—which is unlikely—the impact would be close to 0.30 percentage points.
For three months, the Commission held working sessions with chambers of commerce and companies from the affected sectors, as well as a permanent technical working group with the Ministry of Economy . As a result, the ruling incorporates modifications to the original proposal , reducing some of the tariffs initially proposed for cosmetics, plastics, soaps, footwear, textiles, and other goods, in order to balance industrial protection with competitiveness and production transition times.
The document states that this process strengthened certainty for supply chains and allows progress towards a more robust industrial model, with greater national content and better regional integration.
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