U.S. and Mexico Enforce New Restrictions on Steel and Aluminum Imports

The United States and Mexico have announced new restrictive measures on steel and aluminum imports from China and other countries. This decision aims to safeguard the North American market from what both countries describe as unfair trade practices.

According to a joint statement by the presidents of both nations, importers will now be required to provide detailed information about the country of origin of steel products that come from outside the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade group, which operates under the T-MEC free trade agreement. Specifically, steel imports into the U.S. from Mexico will face a 25% duty unless it can be confirmed that the steel was melted and produced in Mexico. For aluminum, a 10% duty will be applied under similar conditions.

The statement highlighted concerns that Chinese steel and aluminum entering the U.S. market through Mexico, bypassing existing tariffs, harm U.S. investments and affect American workers, particularly in states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio.

For several months, the U.S. had been addressing complaints about Chinese goods entering the market through Mexico under the T-MEC agreement. The U.S. has been attempting to initiate a renegotiation of the agreement to tackle these issues.