November 11, 2026. Mexico is not closing its door to China but to unfair competition, Altagracia Gómez, coordinator of the president's Advisory Council for Regional Economic Development and Relocation, said at the Alacero 2026 congress. The same day, Forbes México and Reuters reported that, according to the Economy Ministry, steel and aluminum purchases from third countries such as China, South Korea and India fell about 30 % after measures against transshipment to the United States.
"We are not closing the door to China"
According to Excélsior, Gómez said Mexico is responding to international conditions, mainly the USMCA review and US tariffs. "We are not closing the door to China. We want to close the door to goods with subsidized production," she said, adding that the aim is not to fight Mexico's trade deficit with China. She described the target as "unfair competition, subsidized production, undervaluation and technical smuggling," and called for a stance toward the US "not in complicity, but not in conflict either." She also proposed prioritizing government purchases, about 5 % of GDP, and raising domestic content in sectors such as construction.
What the Economy Ministry reported
Deputy Economy Minister Luis Rosendo Gutiérrez said the drop in third-country steel and aluminum purchases is worth about 13 billion pesos. "We want to guarantee, and we are guaranteeing, that there is no steel triangulation," he said. Mexico cancelled around 1,100 supplier registrations, many in Asia, because their existence could not be verified, and steel imports from Vietnam fell as much as 80 % in some months. Forbes México says the government's priority is to limit the effect of US Section 232 tariffs on cars, steel and aluminum.
Our take
The cancellations point to suppliers that do not exist or do not make what they sell. For importers working with real factories and consistent paperwork, trade with China stays open; the key is proving who made the goods and where.
- Confirm your supplier is a manufacturer, not just a trader, with supplier verification.
- Keep certificates of origin, invoices and packing lists consistent with our export documents service.
- For steel, aluminum and derivatives, consider a factory audit and check the tariff line before fixing a price.
