Overview

• An imminent presidential decree will bar finished footwear from entering under the IMMEX program and impose a minimum 25% tariff on imports from countries without free-trade agreements.
• Officials cite a 159% jump in temporary footwear imports between 2022 and 2024 as evidence of widespread misuse of duty-free privileges.
• The measure is designed to support roughly 120,000 direct jobs and reverse a 12.8% decline in national footwear production from 2019 to 2024.
• Authorities plan to intensify customs inspections and crack down on “contrabando técnico,” targeting subvaluation and false pricing to prevent duty evasion.
• Key industry groups, including CANAICAL, CICEJ and CICEG, have welcomed the move and expect combined trade remedies to boost domestic manufacturers’ sales.