The Secretary of Economy, Marcelo Ebrard, announced new measures regarding the steel industry, highlighting the cancellation of imports from producers with irregularities. In the morning conference on Monday, May 5, 2025, Ebrard explained that the main objective is to protect the national industry and promote job creation in Mexico. It was identified that out of the 2,000 registered steel producers, 1,062 present inconsistencies, irregularities, or simply do not exist according to reports from those importing steel.
The process of importing steel products in Mexico requires registration with the Secretariat of Economy known as the Registry for Steel Importers. In this regard, steel plants, also called mills, must provide detailed information about their data and the material imported. Following an order from President Claudia Sheinbaum, a thorough review was conducted of more than 2,000 steel producers in different countries, including Malaysia, to detect and cancel registrations that present irregularities.
Marcelo Ebrard emphasized that the cancellation of these registrations aims to prevent the use of false documents to evade tariffs and other taxes on steel imports, thus strengthening trade and avoiding the triangulation of this material. By regulating these practices, the aim is to establish fair competition conditions for domestic producers against foreign importation, protecting the national industry.
Trump imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports from Mexico since March 12, affecting exports of more than 20 billion dollars, approximately 4.7% of Mexican exports and more than 1.5% of the 2024 GDP. This measure has impacted key sectors such as auto parts, household appliances, and electronics, essential for the economy of at least 11 Mexican states, according to IMCO. Despite Marcelo Ebrard's efforts to negotiate exemptions from these tariffs with U.S. officials, no agreement was reached, also affecting Canada and eliminating the exemptions under the USMCA.
The uncertainty regarding whether Mexico will face Trump's tariffs remains in the air, while actions are being taken to regulate the importation of steel and strengthen domestic trade in this sector.
