Mexican Government’s Fight Against Chinese Smuggling

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According to a report by Primera Línea, Víctor Gabriel Chedraui, Secretary of Economy and Labor, stated that combating textile and footwear smuggling in Mexico is a priority, as this issue severely impacts the national industry. He also emphasized that smuggling allows products to enter the country at excessively low prices, making fair competition impossible and harming local producers.  

Additionally, the official highlighted the importance of promoting the consumption of national products, leveraging the high production capacity of the textile and footwear sectors. However, he warned that if smuggling is not effectively tackled, the industry will remain in crisis and suffer even greater losses.  

It was also pointed out that, in some cases, only 1,000 pairs of shoes are declared for import, when in reality, more than 20,000 enter the country, distorting the market and hitting Mexican producers hard.  

In response to this issue, the Mexican government seeks to strengthen the textile and apparel industry cluster by incorporating producers from various regions of the country, particularly from Teziutlán, San Martín, Puebla, Ajalpan, and Tehuacán. The strategy includes expanding commercialization opportunities through partnerships with self-service markets and large companies, as well as encouraging new sales methods, such as direct-to-home commerce.  

Textile entrepreneurs in Tehuacán have expressed concern over the increase in Chinese product imports and are calling on the government to implement concrete measures to halt the entry of these textiles into the country, the region, and the city.  

It is important to note that, in the last three years, 80% of Mexican textile factories have ceased operations due to a lack of work—an issue that has worsened due to the aforementioned factors, along with insecurity and high transportation costs.  

For example, transporting 10,800 pairs of pants from Tehuacán to Mexico City costs 14,000 pesos, in addition to extra expenses for security along the Puebla-Mexico highway, one of the most dangerous in the country. These costs represent an increase of 2.10 pesos per garment. In contrast, a pair of pants smuggled from China costs only 5.40 pesos, creating a disadvantage for Mexican manufacturers.

Main Source:

Gobierno reforzará medidas contra el contrabando textil y de calzado – Primera Línea

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