The payment of MFN tariffs on Mexican exports to the United States fell from 50% to 15% in the first year of US President Donald Trump’s second term.
In contrast, Mexican exports to the US market under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) grew from 50% to 85% during the same period.
Payment of MFN tariffs
The above data was released on Thursday by Mexico‘s Secretary of Economy, Marcelo Ebrard, at a press conference at the National Palace, together with President Claudia Sheinbaum.
The official stressed that the USMCA became more important for companies trading in the region because if they comply with the rules of origin, they pay lower tariffs.
In the United States, the application of the USMCA rules of origin allows Mexican exports to qualify for preferential tariff treatment. This eliminates the MFN tariff, reduces unit costs, improves the price structure, and strengthens competitiveness in integrated regional chains.
In contrast, exporting under the Most-Favored-Nation regime involves paying tariffs consolidated before the WTO. This increases the final cost, reduces operating margins, and creates disadvantages compared to regional producers who do comply with the technical requirements of origin.
According to WTO data, in 2024 the United States applied a simple average MFN tariff of 3.3% (5.0% on agricultural products and 3.1% on non-agricultural products).
In turn, U.S. customs collected a trade-weighted average MFN tariff of 2.2% (4.2% on agricultural products and 2.0% on non-agricultural products) in the same year.
Section 232
The Index warned that 31% of Mexican exports pay Section 232 tariffs in the United States. These are data from 2024. The amount totals $158 billion. Cars, steel, and aluminum, highly integrated sectors, predominate.
In contrast, 68.4% of shipments remain free trade if they comply with the USMCA. They total $345 billion. However, compliance varies between 77% and 95%. This introduces operational risks. Within the 31%, cars account for 15.6%. They are followed by steel, aluminum, and trucks.