Mexico says over 80 percent of exports will avoid new US tariffs

Mexican Economic Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Thursday that more than 80 percent of Mexican exports to the United States will be exempt from a new round of US tariffs announced by Washington.

The announcement came as the United States and Mexico finished a third round of talks reviewing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, the regional free trade accord signed in 2020. Mexico's Secretariat of Economy said in a joint readout that both sides agreed on the urgent need to strengthen manufacturing in North America and to prevent parties outside the agreement from making improper use of it. Ebrard said a fourth round of talks will take place in the first half of September.

The US tariffs affect about 60 countries and take effect Friday. The Office of the US Trade Representative said they follow investigations by President Donald Trump's government into the use of forced labor in products exported to the United States. Ebrard said most Mexican exports will not be affected because they comply with USMCA rules.

Mexico is the United States' largest commercial partner, with exports to the US exceeding $558 billion between June 2025 and May 2026, according to official data cited in the source. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met Thursday at the presidential palace while negotiators worked on treaty updates. Washington has called the treaty deficient.

The duty is set at 10 percent for Mexico and up to 12.5 percent for other countries. It replaces a temporary levy imposed by Trump that expires Friday. Ebrard said goods not covered by the USMCA will face the new tariff, but said Mexico does not expect a change in the tariff position it has faced so far.