“We must strengthen the national industry, and we will propose that the steel used be domestically produced, both reinforcing steel (such as rods) and structural steel,” stated Jesús Esteva , head of the SICT.

In an interview following the signing of a collaboration agreement with the Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry (CMIC), he commented that they will conduct an evaluation with the industry itself to determine its capacity .

The federal official stated that in this way, the federal government will be supporting builders so that domestic steel is used in the projects the agency bids for.

For his part, Luis Méndez , president of CMIC, said that the increase in tariffs by the United States was negatively received by the industry, as it will impact the costs of infrastructure projects .

“We really need to work together, both the government and the private sector. There are several stages ahead. Initially, the price of steel may briefly decrease domestically, but this could lead to serious problems. In discussion with the secretary and the president’s (Claudia Sheinbaum) strategy, we need to look at what’s been done in Mexico and work harder to avoid depending on this trade relationship in this regard,” he noted.

He explained that this increase in steel and aluminum would impact housing construction costs by 3% to 4%, construction costs by 5% to 7%, and infrastructure costs by up to 10% .

Therefore, he emphasized the need to seek strategies with various stakeholders, and CMIC has the availability . However, he considered there are no risks of halting construction , although it is necessary to know the capacity of national companies. “I believe that initially, Mexican steel can respond to this; later, it could become more complicated.”

Jesús Esteva explained that the projects will be evaluated to determine how much input is required for each project . For example, if it’s a reinforced concrete structure, it will be the rebar; or if it’s a complete metal structure, like bridges, such as the Nichupté bridge in Cancún, Quintana Roo, which has a section of more than 100 meters of steel, or the Rizo de Oro bridge in Chiapas.

In the case of passenger train tracks, he said these types of structures have other special characteristics, which is why they are only imported from other countries, such as Italy, to reinforce Metro Line 12 and the Mexico-Toluca Train.

“Now we’ll see the capacity of the plant installed in Mexico and we’ll prioritize steel manufactured in the country,” he said.

In this regard, and contrary to the CMIC, it ruled out an increase in the cost of the works , because said input would be manufactured in Mexican territory.

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El cargo SICT will give priority to Mexican steel for the construction of works apareció primero en T21.

Marcelo Ebrard , head of the Ministry of Economy (SE) , confirmed that there is progress on the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum that the United States imposed last March on several countries and that affect the Mexican steel industry.

To date, eight meetings have been held with authorities from the northern neighbor on this issue, the federal official recalled, expressing optimism about the progress made in the meetings.

“I’d say we’ve had eight meetings on steel and aluminum. I’d almost say I’m an expert on the subject, but I’m optimistic. I can’t give you details because I can’t, but we are making progress,” Ebrard said at the National Meeting of BBVA Regional Board Members .

Following up on this issue, the Secretary of Economy indicated that he will be working with the business sector in the coming months.

“Right now, we’re working very closely with the steel and aluminum industries, and of course, we’ll be working closely with the business sector in the coming months. We’re going to have to cover many fronts and make many proposals. So, there’s going to be a lot of backroom deals,” he said.

Review of the USMCA and BBVA investment announcement

During his address, he also noted that formal negotiations for the revision of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will begin in late September or early October of this year.

“What I’m anticipating is that once this evaluation begins, we’ll begin talks. We’re meeting weekly. So, the sooner negotiations are concluded, the better,” he said.

He added that the three countries will evaluate how the trade agreement has fared and what objectives they will pursue.

“Keep in mind that Mexico has a free trade agreement with the United States. This country, the United States, has 14, 13 additional agreements, and our agreement is the only one today that has the condition that almost 90% of our total trade with the United States is tariff-free,” he explained.

Ebrard also welcomed the announcement of a 100 billion peso (mdp) investment—approximately $5.203 billion—  by the financial institution BBVA, which, he emphasized, “speaks of confidence in the outlook for our economy.”

“We are very pleased with the bank’s investment announcement of 100 billion pesos. In fact, it is one of the main investment announcements for our investment portfolio. We didn’t have it planned, but we are going to add it,” he added.

This investment will be made over the next six years and will focus on technology and financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Mexico.

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El cargo There is progress on steel and aluminum tariffs: Ebrard apareció primero en T21.

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) , Mexico’s mining and metallurgical production, which includes extraction, processing, smelting and refining of metallic and non-metallic minerals, stood at  71.2 points in February 2025 , representing a   monthly decrease of 4.6% .

According to the  Statistics of the Mining and Metallurgical Industry (EIMM) , production increased by  3.6 percent at an annual rate .

By product, zinc production increased  15.1% year-on-year in the second month of the year ; silver also saw an increase of 11.9% during the same period. Iron pellets and lead saw increases in production, by  9.3% and 7%, respectively.

In contrast, gypsum production fell by 0.5% during the period , as did  fluorite , which fell by 0.7% . Other products and minerals that saw annual declines were  copper, which fell by 3.6% , gold, which fell by 4.9% , and sulfur , which fell by 16.3% .

During this period, Zacatecas stood out in gold production with an annual variation of 35.3%, as well as in silver with 42.2%, lead with 15.3%, and zinc with 61.7%, detailed the INEGI.

According to the agency’s figures, this would be the second month in 2025 with negative production figures for this sector, as last January also saw a 10.2% monthly decline.

The Mexican mining industry has been one of the industries most affected by the United States’ tariff policy, following the 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports from the United States that went into effect on March 12.

In response, the  Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO)  warned that the implementation of this measure would affect  4.7% of total Mexican exports and would also impact the value of imports by the United States from Mexico, estimated at more than  $22.5 billion , with severe consequences for the national automotive industry.

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El cargo “Plunge” Mexican mining and metallurgical production during February apareció primero en T21.

Mexican mining and metallurgical production, which includes extraction, processing, smelting and refining of metallic and non-metallic minerals, stood at 74.6 points in January 2025 , representing a 10.2% monthly decrease, reported the  National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) .

According to the  Statistics of the Mining and Metallurgical Industry (EIMM) , which provides information on mining and metallurgical activity for the purpose of generating timely indicators, production increased by  14 percent on an annual basis .

By product, zinc  production increased by 86.7% annually during the reference period  ;  copper also  saw an increase of 42.4 %  . Lead, silver, and iron pellets also saw increases in production, with increases of  22.5% , 16.2% , and 4.5% , respectively.

On the other hand, sulfur production decreased by  0.1% annually during the period , as did fluorite . Other products and minerals that showed declines in production were non-coking coal  —used for electricity generation—by  1.1% , while gypsum  fell by  3.1% .

During this period,  Zacatecas  stood out in gold production with an annual variation of  31.2% , as well as in silver with  39.4% , lead with  22%  and zinc with  98.9% , detailed Inegi.

The Mexican mining industry is in the crosshairs of  US President Donald Trump after  the 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports from the United States went into effect on March 12 , affecting various industries in Mexico.

In response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will wait until April 2 to decide whether her administration will apply reciprocal tariffs on those products to its northern neighbor.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Ebrard , head of the  Ministry of Economy , considered the imposition of tariffs a “bad idea” that will have a global impact, and noted that since March 14, consultations have been held with these industries, as well as with other affected sectors, such as the automotive sector, to analyze the measures to be taken and review the tariff rates.

In turn, the  Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) warned that the implementation of this measure would affect  4.7% of total Mexican exports , and would also impact the value of imports by the United States from Mexico, estimated at more than  22.5 billion dollars (mdd) , and would have severe consequences for the national automotive industry.

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El cargo Mexican mining and metallurgical production starts 2025 with negative figures apareció primero en T21.

The Mexican Railway Association (AMF) said the imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum will impact the sector, primarily on cross-border transportation, passenger train inputs, and supplies.

Francisco Fabila, president of the AMF, commented that they submitted a document through the Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) to the Ministry of Economy and other entities regarding the impact of this measure, which could even lead to a decrease in cargo handling by this transport.

“We delivered it as part of Concamin so they could inform the government about the potential impacts, and we’re having a good exchange of information. They asked us for more details, and we’re working on it,” he added.

However, in an interview following his bimonthly meeting, he explained that the impact would be felt in the production of railway cars, which use steel, while aluminum is used in wagons.

“In rail freight, it’s not directly affecting us but rather the goods and products we transport. Some impact is that we would be seeing a decrease in freight, but not now, and we continue working on the document,” he said.

For her part, Mayte Ramos, general director of Alstom Mexico , stated that this tariff policy would result in a $250 million increase in the projects they are carrying out in the railway sector.

“If they continue, it would cost us to complete the projects we have already signed, worth around $250 million. That would be the impact. We face a challenge, and that challenge is to foster belonging and value, and I think it’s much more important to develop a productive chain, Mexican companies, and talent,” he said.

However, he assured that they continue working on the projects since they have the necessary supplies, and they will only finish delivering all the Mayan Train convoys next July .

Although, he mentioned that there is a large potential market for the United States and Canada , it is also necessary to look to other places such as Latin America and other regions, in addition to having 14 trade agreements with other countries.

Alstom has participated in various projects with the then Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT), the Mass Transportation System (STC) and the City’s Electric Transportation Service, the Urban Electric Train System (SITEUR) in Guadalajara, and Metrorrey in Monterrey. It has also delivered units for the Maya Train.

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El cargo The railway sector exposes possible impacts from tariffs apareció primero en T21.

Marcelo Ebrard , head of the Ministry of Economy , considered the imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports by the United States as a “bad idea” that will have a global impact, and announced that on March 14 they will begin consultations with the steel and aluminum industry, as well as with other affected sectors, such as the automotive sector, to analyze the measures to be taken and review the tariff rates.

“Tomorrow, we will begin consultations with the industry involved in the steel and aluminum tariffs so that we can later take other measures to defend our companies or try to get those tariffs reviewed. There are measures that can be taken, but we won’t do it hastily,” he noted.

At Thursday’s morning press conference, he explained that details of the negotiations he has had with U.S. officials on the matter are not yet complete, as they are ongoing daily.

Ebrard emphasized that the goal is to protect companies, and that his instructions are that no measures will be taken without considering the bigger picture.

“We’re going to have very intense talks this week. Mexico’s integration is exceptional; it doesn’t exist with other countries. We’ll act with composure and firmness, and we’ll achieve the best possible position,” he added.

In this regard, he reiterated that meetings with U.S. officials will continue and assured that they will not make hasty decisions. He also specified that they will wait until April 2 to use all available resources for Mexico’s benefit.

At the conference, he acknowledged President Claudia Sheinbaum ‘s intervention in halting the imposition of 25% tariffs on products imported from Mexico that are part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) until April 2, and noted that because of this, the country is doing better than other nations on tariff issues.

On March 12, U.S. President Donald Trump implemented 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, signing executive orders on February 10 “with no exceptions or exemptions.”

In response to this measure, Sheinbaum  said they will wait until April 2 to decide whether her administration will apply reciprocal tariffs to the United States on these products.

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El cargo Ebrard announces consultations to analyze measures against steel and aluminum tariffs. apareció primero en T21.

In light of the 25% tariffs on all U.S. steel and aluminum imports that will take effect this Wednesday, which will affect this sector in Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will wait until April 2 to decide whether her administration will apply reciprocal tariffs to the United States on these products.

“What we’re going to do, in addition to meeting with steel and aluminum manufacturers in our country, is wait until April 2nd to see if we also need to take any actions within the same framework of reciprocity, just as the United States government is doing,” he said.

At Wednesday’s morning press conference, Sheinbaum said that Marcelo Ebrard , head of the Ministry of Economy , met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on March 11 to discuss the issue.

The president assured that meetings between officials from both countries will continue between now and April 2, “also waiting to see how things turn out and working with Mexican companies.”

“April 2nd, apart from the date we agreed on in the phone call, is the day the United States government announced there would be a reciprocal tariff system for all countries in the world,” the president commented.

In turn, Ebrard announced through his X account that they will give more details on the issue of steel and aluminum in the morning conference on March 13 , and noted that “Mexico will move forward.”

This Wednesday, March 12, U.S. President Donald Trump implemented 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, executive orders he signed on February 10 “without exceptions or exemptions.”

Trump has stated that this measure is intended to boost the steel industry and create jobs within the United States; however, Marcelo Ebrard has pointed out that Mexico buys more steel from him than it sells to the United States, allowing Mexico to have a surplus of  $6.897 billion .

According to the  National Chamber of the Iron and Steel Industry (Canacero) , in 2024 the United States accounted for 16.1% of the market in Mexico, while the country represented only 2.2% of the market in the United States.

In a statement, the agency reported that the steel trade balance between the United States and Mexico reflected a surplus of  2.3 million tons  in favor of Mexico at the end of 2024, “so there is no justification for imposing tariffs on Mexican steel.”

Meanwhile, the  Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO)  highlighted the implications of imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum by the United States, which would affect  4.7%  of total Mexican exports and would also impact the value of imports by the United States from Mexico, estimated at more than  $22.5 billion .

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El cargo Decision on steel and aluminum tariffs due April 2: Sheinbaum apareció primero en T21.