Mexico Tightens Tariffs in 2026: The Silent Message Companies Cannot Ignore

For years, Mexico was regarded as one of the most open economies in the world. Its extensive network of trade agreements allowed multinational companies and industrial groups to build efficient, competitive supply chains deeply integrated into global trade.

That paradigm is beginning to shift.

On December 29, 2025, the Federal Government published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación – DOF)

the Decree amending various tariff lines of the Mexican General Import and Export Tax Law, effective as of January 1, 2026.

Decree:
https://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5777376&fecha=29/12/2025#gsc.tab=0

Although presented as a technical adjustment, the Decree constitutes a clear strategic signal regarding the evolution of Mexico’s trade policy.

A Silent Shift in Trade Policy

The reform modifies more than one thousand tariff classifications and introduces duties that, in many cases, range from 25% to 35%, cutting across key consumer and manufacturing industries. The focus is not incidental. The most significant impact falls on goods originating from countries with which Mexico does not maintain a Free Trade Agreement, disrupting a model that for years prioritized price-based efficiency.

The implicit message is unequivocal: efficiency without strategic alignment and robust compliance is no longer sufficient.

Industries at the Center of the Impact From a regulatory perspective, the scope of the adjustment is substantial. A total of 1,196 tariff classifications were amended, covering entire chapters of the Mexican tariff schedule, including perfumes and cosmetics (Chapter 33), plastics and plastic articles (Chapter 39), textiles and apparel (Chapters 50 to 63), footwear (Chapter 64), glass and glassware (Chapter 70), iron, steel and aluminum (Chapters 72 and 76), vehicles and parts (Chapters 87 and 90), as well as toys and miscellaneous manufactured articles (Chapter 95).

Taken together, these changes not only increase costs but also compel companies to fundamentally rethink their tax, customs and supply-chain strategies.

The new tariffs directly affect sectors heavily dependent on global imports:

• Cosmetics and personal care, where perfumes, makeup, creams and hair products face tariffs ranging from 25% to 36%, particularly impacting finished goods imported from Asia.
• Textiles, apparel and footwear, with duties reaching up to 35%, compressing margins and forcing a reassessment of sourcing strategies.
• Plastics, polymers and derivatives, including packaging, films and molded parts, subject to tariffs of 5% to 35%, with downstream effects on food, pharmaceutical, retail and light manufacturing industries.
• Paper, cardboard and packaging, critical inputs for logistics and e-commerce, now facing tariffs of 25% to 35%.
• Consumer goods and light manufacturing, such as furniture, toys and household products, where import costs are undergoing a structural shift.

Collectively, these measures weaken the low-cost import model absent a strategic redesign. Mexico’s Free Trade Agreement Network:

A Structural Contrast Historically, Mexico has built one of the most extensive networks of preferential trade agreements worldwide. Various sources indicate that the country maintains approximately 13–14 Free Trade Agreements covering nearly 50 countries, including major regional and multilateral partnerships.

Key Free Trade Agreements include:

• USMCA / T-MEC, with the United States and Canada, the backbone of North American trade and a cornerstone of regional nearshoring.
• The Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, covering 27 countries.
• The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), including key economies such as Japan, Vietnam, Singapore and Australia.
• Agreements with Latin America, including Chile, Peru, Colombia and Central American countries (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua).
• The Free Trade Agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

These agreements do more than facilitate trade. They reduce tariff barriers, strengthen rules of origin, protect investments and provide dispute-resolution mechanisms—critical elements for strategic planning, legal certainty and corporate decision-making.

The contrast with countries that do not have FTAs with Mexico—such as China, India, South Korea, Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia or Turkey—is now more evident than ever.

The Transitory Provisions That Redefine the Game

Beyond tariffs, the most sophisticated element of the Decree lies in its transitory provisions. These empower the Ministry of Economy to implement specific legal mechanisms and instruments to allow the importation of goods from non-FTA countries, with the stated objective of ensuring competitive access to essential inputs.

From a corporate perspective, this means:

• Importing from non-FTA countries is no longer automatic.
• Market access may depend on administrative schemes, quotas, authorizations or technical criteria.
• Customs and tax planning become first-order strategic factors.

This is not classic protectionism. It is modern industrial policy.

Mexico is not closing its economy—it is reordering priorities. In a global environment shaped by trade tensions, supply-chain realignment and increased regulatory scrutiny, the country appears to be aligning with a clear trend: privileging defensible, regional and strategic supply chains.

At AS Consulting Group, we view this Decree as a turning point. It is not a temporary reform, but a signal of the direction Mexico’s trade policy is likely to take in the coming years.

Companies that act early will be able to redesign their supply chains, protect margins and turn compliance into a competitive advantage. Those that react late will face higher costs, reduced flexibility and growing tax and customs risks.

2026 will not be the year of improvised adjustment, but of well-executed strategy.

About AS Consulting Group AS Consulting Group (ASCG) is a Mexican professional services firm with more than 30 years of experience, specializing in tax, foreign trade, customs, corporate legal services and strategic consulting, supporting domestic and multinational companies in their operations and expansion in Mexico.

www.ascg.mx