Mexico Imposes Retaliatory Tariffs on U.S. Origin Products Classified in 89 Tariff Numbers
On March 18, 2009, the Mexican Government published a notice in its Diario Oficial (Mexico's version of the Federal Register) announcing the imposition of higher tariffs on certain U.S. origin products in response to the U.S. cancellation of the U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking pilot1.
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According to the Diario notice and an unofficial Google translation, the higher tariffs take effect March 19, 2009 and are due to the U.S.' failure to fulfill its obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
The tariff numbers subject to higher duties and the tariff rates as listed in the Diario Oficial are as follows (the "description" is taken from the unofficial Google translation):
| Tariff Number | Description | Tariff |
|---|---|---|
| 0604.91.02 | Christmas trees | 20% |
| 0703.10.01 | Onions | 10% |
| 0705.11.01 | Cabbage | 10% |
| 0802.12.01 | Without skin | 20% |
| 0804.10.01 | Cool | 20% |
| 0804.10.99 | Others | 20% |
| 0806.10.01 | Cool | 45% |
| 0808.20.01 | Pears | 20% |
| 0809.10.01 | Apricots (apricots, apricots) | 20% |
| 0809.20.01 | Cherries | 20% |
| 0810.10.01 | Strawberries (strawberries) | 20% |
| 0813.50.01 | Mixtures of fruit, nuts, or nuts of this Chapter | 20% |
| 1902.19.99 | Others | 10% |
| 2004.10.01 | Papas (potatoes) | 20% |
| 2005.40.01 | Peas (peas, beans) (Pisum sativum) | 20% |
| 2008.11.01 | Shelled | 20% |
| 2008.11.99 | Others | 20% |
| 2008.19.01 | Almonds | 20% |
| 2008.19.99 | Others | 20% |
| 2008.60.01 | Cherries | 20% |
| 2009.80.01 | Any fruit juice or fruit or vegetable | 20% |
| 2009.90.01 | Containing only vegetable juice | 20% |
| 2009.90.99 | Others | 20% |
| 2103.10.01 | Soy sauce (soybeans) | 20% |
| 2103.90.99 | Others | 20% |
| 2104.10.01 | Preparations for soups, stews or broths; Soups and broths and preparations | 10% |
| 2106.90.06 | Concentrated juice of one fruit, vegetable or vegetable, fortified with minerals or vitamins | 15% |
| 2106.90.07 | Mixtures of concentrated fruit juices, vegetables, enriched with minerals or vitamins | 15% |
| 2106.90.08 | With a milk solids content of greater than 10% by weight | 15% |
| 2201.10.01 | Mineral water | 20% |
| 2204.10.99 | Others | 20% |
| 2204.21.02 | Wine red, pink, white or claret, whose alcohol content is up to 14% Alc. Vol. at a temperature of 20 C (equivalent to 14 degrees Gay-Lussac centesimal at a temperature of 15 C) in vasijera clay, pottery or glass | 20% |
| 2206.00.99 | Others | 20% |
| 2306.30.01 | Of sunflower seeds | 15% |
| 2306.49.99 | Others | 15% |
| 2309.10.01 | Dog or cat food, put up for retail sale | 10% |
| 3213.10.01 | Assorted colors | 15% |
| 3304.30.01 | Preparations for manicure and pedicure | 15% |
| 3304.99.99 | Others | 15% |
| 3305.10.01 | Shampoos | 15% |
| 3305.30.01 | Hair lacquers | 15% |
| 3305.90.99 | Others | 15% |
| 3306.10.01 | Dentifrices | 15% |
| 3306.20.01 | Filament nylon | 15% |
| 3306.20.99 | Others | 15% |
| 3306.90.99 | Others | 15% |
| 3307.10.01 | Preparations for shaving or after-shave | 15% |
| 3307.20.01 | Personal deodorants and antitraspirantes | 15% |
| 3924.10.01 | Crockery and other items for the table service and kitchenware | 20% |
| 3924.90.99 | Others | 20% |
| 3926.40.01 | Statuettes and other ornaments | 20% |
| 4816.20.01 | Carbonless paper | 10% |
| 4818.10.01 | Toilet paper | 10% |
| 4820.20.01 | Notebooks | 10% |
| 4901.99.99 | Others | 20% |
| 4911.10.99 | Others | 20% |
| 4911.99.02 | Tickets or raffle tickets, lotteries, shows, railways and other services shipping | 20% |
| 4911.99.03 | Printed with clear writing | 20% |
| 4911.99.05 | Plastic identification cards and credit, without tape | 20% |
| 4911.99.99 | Others | 20% |
| 5511.10.01 | Synthetic staple fibers with a fiber content of less than 85% by weight | 15% |
| 5511.30.01 | Of artificial staple fibers | 15% |
| 5704.90.99 | Others | 20% |
| 5705.00.99 | Others | 20% |
| 7013.49.03 | Lime glass | 20% |
| 7113.19.99 | Others | 20% |
| 8302.41.01 | Fittings for Venetian blinds | 20% |
| 8302.41.02 | Curtains | 20% |
| 8302.41.04 | Keyless locks, doorknobs or pins | 20% |
| 8302.41.99 | Others | 20% |
| 8304.00.99 | Others | 20% |
| 8418.10.99 | Others | 15% |
| 8418.21.01 | Compression | 20% |
| 8419.81.01 | Coffeepots | 20% |
| 8421.39.99 | Others | 10% |
| 8422.11.01 | Of the household type | 15% |
| 8450.12.01 | For domestic use | 20% |
| 8450.12.99 | Others | 20% |
| 8516.79.99 | Others | 20% |
| 8517.11.01 | Combined wireless phone headset with microphone | 20% |
| 8548.10.01 | Waste and scrap of primary cells, primary batteries and electric accumulators; batteries, primary batteries and electric accumulators, useless | 20% |
| 9004.10.01 | Eyewear (glasses) from the sun | 15% |
| 9403.20.99 | Others | 15% |
| 9504.30.99 | Others | 15% |
| 9608.10.01 | Metal | 20% |
| 9608.10.99 | Others | 20% |
| 9608.20.01 | Pens and felt tip markers with other porous | 20% |
| 9608.99.99 | Others | 20% |
| 9609.10.01 | Pencils | 20% |
Reps. Camp and Brady Urge President to Develop New Trucking Program
House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Camp and Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Brady have sent a letter to the President urging him to develop a new trucking program to ensure the safety of Mexican trucks operating in the U.S. and end Mexico's retaliation against U.S. exports.
Administration, Key Senator to Work on Legislation for New Trucking Pilot
According to the White House Press Secretary, the President has tasked the Transportation Department to work with the U.S. Trade Representative and the State Department, along with leaders in Congress and Mexican officials, to propose legislation creating a new trucking project that will meet the legitimate concerns of Congress and U.S. NAFTA commitments.
Senator Dorgan, the sponsor of the amendment that ended the cross-border pilot, sent a letter to the Secretary of Transportation expressing his willingness to work with the administration in good faith to address this issue.
1On March 16, 2009, Mexico announced its intent to take retaliatory actions against a range of U.S. exports in response to the termination of a cross-border, long-distance trucking pilot that allowed a small number of Mexican trucks to enter the U.S. beyond the border commercial zones, and provided reciprocal access to U.S. companies in Mexico. The Mexican government had announced that it would apply $2.4 billion in tariffs to 90 U.S. agricultural and industrial products in retaliation for termination of the pilot.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 03/18/09 news, 09031805, for BP summary of FMCSA's formal termination of the U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking pilot.
See ITT's 03/17/09 news, 09031705, for BP summary of the announcement by Mexico of its intent to retaliate.
See ITT's Online Archives or 02/25/09 news, 09022510, for BP summary on the cross-border trucking funding prohibition.)
Diario Oficial notice (in Spanish), published 03/18/09, available at http://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5084119&fecha=18/03/2009.
Rep. Camp and Brady press release and letter to President (dated 03/18/09) available by emailing documents@brokerpower.com.