The influx of smuggled Asian goods and the rapid growth of clothing consumption through digital platforms have led to the loss of approximately 100,000 jobs in the Puebla-Tlaxcala textile industry over the past four years, according to the Puebla and Tlaxcala Textile Industry Chamber (CITEX).
In an interview, Gustavo Lezama González, president of the organization, explained that the massive influx of products—primarily from China—has created unfair competition for local manufacturers, who cannot match the prices of these imported goods, which are up to 30 percent cheaper.
He detailed that this constant pressure has significantly diminished the competitiveness of the regional industry, directly impacting companies that comply with all tax, labor, and regulatory obligations, but face considerably higher production costs compared to products that enter the country irregularly or at a lower value.
The products most frequently smuggled, he noted, are denim garments, t-shirts, pants, underwear, sweatshirts, and other low-cost textiles. These items are widely sold in both informal markets and on digital platforms, often without complying with labeling standards, tax payments, or labor regulations, which further distorts the market and displaces domestic production.
The hardest-hit sectors within the production chain, he added, are denim, yarn, weaving, and finishing—strategic subsectors for the regional textile industry. Currently, the plants located in Puebla and Tlaxcala are operating at only 60 percent of their capacity, reflecting the decline in production and the drop in orders.
Faced with this scenario, most companies have been forced to reduce operating expenses, postpone investments, and, in the most critical cases, cut staff as a survival measure.
This situation has resulted in the textile and apparel supply chain in Puebla and Tlaxcala losing approximately 100,000 jobs in the last four years, the business leader emphasized.
The textile industry is operating at 60 percent of its capacity. “In the region, we have lost practically a third of our jobs; it’s a dramatic situation, and we cannot allow it to continue,” he warned.
Lezama González stressed that a significant portion of the affected jobs are in the garment sector, where the majority of the workforce is comprised of women in formal employment. This increases the social impact of the problem, as these jobs provide income for thousands of families.
The president of CITEX stated that the organization is working with federal and state authorities to reverse this trend and enable companies that have closed to reopen in the short term.
“The key to protecting domestic industry lies in the proper application of the law, especially the new customs legislation and existing tariffs, to strengthen customs surveillance and curb the smuggling that has caused so much damage to the sector,” he concluded.
Federal Government Issues Decree to Protect Industry
On December 29, 2025, the federal government published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) the Decree reforming various tariff classifications of the General Import and Export Tax Law, with the aim of protecting various productive sectors from Asian competition, including the textile industry.
This decree established tariffs ranging from five to 50 percent, applicable as of January 1, modifying the import quota for more than 1,460 products, including clothing and textile inputs.
The aim of this measure, it was stated, is to protect and strengthen local industries that have been affected by uncompetitive prices from various Asian countries, mainly China.
Source: oem
