Mexico says most 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.

The US tariffs, affecting about 60 countries, take effect Friday. The Office of the US Trade Representative said in a statement that the measure follows investigations by President Donald Trump's government into the use of forced labour in products exported to the United States.

Ebrard said most Mexican exports will not be affected because they meet the requirements of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the regional free trade pact signed in 2020. In a social media video, he said more than 80 percent of Mexican exports follow USMCA rules and that this position is not changing.

The duty for Mexico is set at 10 percent, while tariffs for other countries can reach 12.5 percent. 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 added that Mexico does not see a change in the tariff level it is currently paying.

Mexico is the United States' largest commercial partner. Mexican exports to the United States exceeded $558 billion between June 2025 and May 2026, according to official data cited in the report.

Negotiators from both countries met Thursday for a final session on updates to the USMCA, which Washington has described as deficient.