Mexican imports of Chinese cars fell 53.5% in the first two months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, according to data from China’s General Administration of Customs.
With this decline, these purchases totaled $399 million.
Among the main models imported by Mexico from China are vehicles from MG Motor, BYD, JAC Motors, and Chirey, including SUVs, electric cars, and compacts such as the MG5, Dolphin, Seagull, Frison T8, and Tiggo 7, driven by demand for affordable mobility and automotive electrification.
Mexican imports of Chinese cars
China is an automotive powerhouse. The country ranks as the world’s largest producer of light vehicles. And in 2025, China surpassed Japan as the second-largest global auto exporter. China’s auto exports totaled $110.422 billion in 2025, trailing only Germany’s $176.559 billion.
Among the strengths of Chinese automotive production are high efficiency, low costs, technological integration, and leadership in electric vehicles. Its weaknesses: the perception of inferior quality, dependence on imported components, and excess production capacity in certain segments.
There was a boom earlier. Mexican imports of Chinese cars grew for five consecutive years at year-over-year rates. First, they rose from $306 million to $831 million from 2020 to 2021. Then they climbed from $2.203 billion to $3.847 billion from 2022 to 2023. Finally, they climbed from $4.38 billion to $6.346 billion from 2024 to 2025.
Mexican Tariffs
Mexican customs authorities increased tariffs by up to 50% on car imports originating from countries with which Mexico does not have relevant trade agreements.
This tariff measure was part of a broader change. Overall, Mexico unilaterally raised tariffs to a range of 5% to 50% effective January 1, 2026, for 1,463 product classifications imported from nations without trade agreements.
The measure complies with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, as the new tariffs fall within the permitted ranges of Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) tariffs. These are import duties that each member negotiated to establish maximum limits for the rest of the membership.
In 2025, Mexico was the fifth-largest destination for car exports from China. Mexico ranked behind Russia ($8.463 billion), the United Arab Emirates ($8.073 billion), the United Kingdom ($6.861 billion), and Belgium ($6.598 billion).