Mexico is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of pecans. The country has accounted for 52% of the global supply, according to the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council. For years, the United States has been its main buyer, but China has increasingly become another important market.
According to data from Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture, China accounted for 14% of Mexican pecan exports between 2016 and 2020. By 2024, direct sales had already reached $21.9 million.
However, selling Mexican pecans to China will now become more difficult. The Asian country announced tariffs ranging from 17.8% to 51.6% on pecans imported from Mexico after preliminarily determining that they were entering its market at excessively low prices and harming local producers.
The decision comes at a particularly important moment for the trade relationship between Mexico and China. In recent months, both countries have taken measures that have changed the conditions of trade between the two markets.
China Imposes Tariffs of Up to 51.6% on Mexican Pecans
The new tariffs are the result of an investigation that China’s Ministry of Commerce began in September 2025 into pecan imports from Mexico and the United States.
According to La Jornada, Chinese authorities preliminarily concluded that pecans from Mexico and the United States were being sold in China at excessively low prices, a practice known as dumping. According to the Chinese government, this placed local producers at a disadvantage and harmed their industry.
In response, China established tariffs ranging from 17.8% to 51.6% for Mexican companies, while pecans from the United States will face a 54.3% tariff.
The new tariffs began taking effect on August 11, although they are not yet final.
The impact could be felt primarily in the Mexican states where pecan production is concentrated. According to data from the Secretariat of Agriculture, Chihuahua is the country’s leading producer, accounting for 62.9% of national production, followed by Sonora with 14.3% and Coahuila with 10.7%.
In these regions, pecan production also supports activities related to sorting, processing, packaging, transportation, and marketing. In addition, Sonora and Chihuahua have developed sales to the Chinese market, meaning the new tariffs could complicate exports for producers and companies that depend on this destination.
Mexico Has Also Tightened Rules on Products Arriving From China
Mexico has begun imposing barriers on various products from China. Since 2025, the country has tightened regulations on purchases made through e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu, introducing new taxes on merchandise shipped from countries with which Mexico does not have trade agreements.
Chinese footwear has also faced new restrictions. In September 2025, Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy imposed quotas ranging from $0.54 to $22.50 per pair on certain footwear imports from China after concluding that they were entering the Mexican market at excessively low prices and harming domestic manufacturers.
The Mexican government has presented these measures as part of a strategy to strengthen domestic production and industry. However, they also come amid pressure from the United States and Donald Trump to reduce the presence of Chinese products in North American supply chains, particularly in sectors such as steel and aluminum and within the framework of negotiations surrounding the USMCA.
Affected Mexican companies have 10 days to respond and submit information that could allow the tariffs to be reviewed. Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy announced that it will work together with the Secretariat of Agriculture and exporters to defend their sales and seek to have the tariffs modified or removed in the final decision.
Source: msn
