China launches probe into Mexico’s new tariffs on Asian imports
China has opened an investigation into Mexico’s plan to impose tariffs of up to 50% on more than 1,400 products from Asian countries, raising questions over whether the measures amount to barriers to trade and investment.
Mexico says the tariffs are designed to protect domestic industries facing mounting pressure after former US president Donald Trump imposed steep levies on Mexican exports to the United States. President Claudia Sheinbaum has insisted that the move was not made under pressure from Washington, even as the US accuses China of using Mexico as a backdoor into its market.
In a statement on Thursday, China’s Ministry of Commerce warned that the Mexican measures could harm the interests of affected nations. “China believes that, in the context of the current abuse of tariffs by the United States, all countries must jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism, and must not sacrifice the interests of third parties due to coercion”, the ministry said. Beijing also announced a separate anti-dumping investigation into pecans imported from Mexico and the US.
China is Mexico’s second-largest source of imports after the United States, with trade worth $130 billion in 2024. Other countries likely to be affected include South Korea, Thailand, India, the Philippines and Indonesia. It remains unclear whether Beijing’s investigation will lead to concrete action, but under trade rules, such probes can trigger bilateral consultations or multilateral negotiations before escalating further.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
