Mexico‘s government plans to reduce imports in order to boost local production, stated Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Economy.

“What we want to do is reduce the rate of imports from Mexico, because it is not convenient for us,” the official said in a television interview. “So, we have to develop more in Mexico.”

Reduce imports

In 2024, Mexico ranked as the tenth largest importer of goods in the world, with 644 billion dollars, a year-on-year increase of 4 percent.

“The more we make in Mexico, the better; that is why Plan Mexico and Made in Mexico are being promoted,” Ebrard added.

Plan Mexico seeks to transform the country’s foreign trade. To achieve this, it aims to reduce dependence on Asian imports. At the same time, it promotes exports and the relocation of companies, known as nearshoring. All this with a comparative advantage: geographical proximity to the United States and Canada.

On the domestic front, the plan aims to reindustrialize the country. To this end, it offers tax incentives and facilitates access to financing, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. It also provides for the training of 150,000 professionals each year. Another key element is the creation of a digital window to attract investment. These actions seek to strengthen regional supply chains and make them more resilient.

In addition, the Made in Mexico label is being promoted. This certification mark aims to give greater visibility to national products. Its objective: to highlight the quality of Mexican products both in the domestic and international markets.

Dependence on foreign trade

From Ebrard’s perspective, it is important for Mexico to reduce its dependence on foreign trade. For example in pharmaceutical products.

“We have to change our way of thinking, be more self-sufficient, less dependent on the outside,” Ebrard commented. 

The former foreign minister argued that Mexico has the potential to develop more and better, while considering the approach of where goods and services are produced, in contrast to the previous view that the place of origin did not matter, but simply that it was cheaper.

“We are already going to a very different world than we were used to,” he said.