This action was the second operation that the SE has carried out as part of Operation Cleanup, this time in the states of Baja California (four IMMEX programs) and Jalisco (one program).

The measure seeks to protect the national industry and prevent the misuse of tax benefits, according to the federal agency headed by Marcelo Ebrard.

“In total, the evasion detected in this and the first phase of the operation amounts to 24 billion pesos in simulated temporary imports, which seriously affects the national industry and the Public Treasury,” Márquez Sánchez said at a press conference.

Leading industrial sector representatives present at the press conference agreed on the need to strengthen customs controls and tighten rulesto prevent abuses in foreign trade.

Alejandro Malagón Barragán, president of the Confederation of Industrial Chambers of the United Mexican States (Concamin) , stressed the importance of the federal government’s strategy to curb unfair competition.

“If we, through the president and the Secretary of Economy, implement Plan Mexico to halt imports and increase production, what we’re seeing is customs becoming the most important link in the chain for national production,” the industrial leader asserted.

From the footwear sector, Juan Carlos Cashat Usabiaga, president of the National Chamber of the Footwear Industry (Canaical) , recognized the efforts of the Mexican government and warned about the impact of uncontrolled imports.

“In recent years, we’ve seen footwear imports under the IMMEX program skyrocket, rising from 3.7 million to more than 40 million pairs by 2024. The problem isn’t just the volume, but that much of this footwear enters without complying with regulations and is illegally traded in the domestic market, affecting thousands of formal jobs,” he stated.

Márquez Sánchez, from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, also announced that the government is working on a strategy based on new technologies to improve the oversight of import and export processes.

The goal of this initiative is to ensure that the benefits of development programs reach only those who comply with regulations and operate within the legal framework.

“Our approach is to protect the national industry without considering external factors as determining factors. The priority is to ensure that commercial activity remains within a legal and transparent environment,” said Márquez Sánchez.

Textile industry, a battle against illegality

José Pablo Maauad Pontón, president of the National Chamber of the Clothing Industry (Canaive) , stressed that these measures send a clear message about the importance of compliance with the law .

“For years, we have called for firm action against these illegal practices. The current administration has demonstrated a real will to enforce the rules and protect the industry. Legality in foreign trade is key to job creation and national growth,” he said.

Along the same lines, Rafael Zaga Saba, president of the National Chamber of the Textile Industry (Canaintex) , emphasized the need to eradicate unfair competition.

“We’ve had eight negative quarters in the textile industry, and that’s largely due to these fraudulent practices. Mexico is highly competitive and can produce world-class textiles, but we need a market where everyone competes on a level playing field. We applaud this government effort and hope it continues,” he said.

The Director of Trade Facilitation announced that operations will continue in other key sectors, such as steel and aluminum , and that work is underway to disqualify the shareholders and partners of the sanctioned companies to prevent them from operating under new registrations.

“The IMMEX program’s beneficiary registry includes approximately 6,000 companies, and although not all of them operate fraudulently, we will continue to collaborate with the industry and the SAT to identify those who abuse the system,” explained Márquez Sánchez.

With these actions, the government reaffirms its commitment to strengthening national industry, protecting jobs, and eradicating unfair trade practices.

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For some time now, the Mexican textile industry has been making efforts to ensure that the country has a “level playing field” with respect to foreign companies that sell undervalued products through temporary imports. Therefore, the decree to increase tariffs on manufactured goods by 35% and on textile imports by 15% represents support for their needs that will strengthen regional supply chains.

Rafael Zaga Saba, president of the National Chamber of the Textile Industry (Canaintex) , highlighted in a press conference that a decade ago the textile industry represented 3.6% of the GDP; however, today this percentage has been reduced to 1.8 percent.

He also stressed that more than 70,000 jobs have been lost in the industry over the past two years, and he hopes that, with this presidential measure, jobs will gradually begin to recover, in addition to an improvement in employment.

In this regard, Canaintex acknowledged Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico, and the Secretary of Economy, Marcelo Ebrard, for having listened to their requests in just three months of management.

For his part, Sergio Contreras Pérez, executive president of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (Comce) , said that this “ is not a protectionist policy, it is a way of limiting ”, since the way of introducing this type of products to the country was left aside.

“We have had the need to review the sensitive issue of tariffs in a new strategy. Mexico does not have a great impact on the relationship with China like other countries. So perhaps we have stopped reviewing what the relationship with China should be, it is a way of reviewing the openness we have, and limiting it,” he said.

The other side of the coin

On the other hand, Logística de México (LDM) , a logistics consulting firm, acknowledged that although the measure is aimed at protecting the national industry, it will have a profound impact on the country’s logistics chain.

In this regard, he indicated that this will bring with it a considerable increase in operating costs that will affect both logistics companies and end consumers.

“The implementation of new tariffs on textiles represents a structural change for logistics in Mexico. Companies face the challenge of adapting their processes in an environment where operating costs will increase significantly. This involves redesigning transport routes, training personnel in more complex customs procedures and optimizing supply chains to reduce the financial impact on end consumers and businesses,” said José Ambe, CEO of LDM.

Among the most significant effects is the increase in import costs, since this measure could generate an annual additional cost of 1.5 billion dollars (mdd) in imports.

In addition, logistics costs, including transportation and storage, will also increase, with freight rates potentially rising by 5% to 10% , adding up to approximately $500 million annually in additional costs due to additional procedures and customs delays.

Other effects foreseen by LDM include high complexity in customs procedures, delays in delivery times, as well as an adjustment in the way companies plan their inventories.

Therefore, the impact of these new tariffs will translate into a total increase in operating costs of close to two billion dollars annually .

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