Industry News
Mexico Revises Lists of U.S. Products Subject to Retaliatory Tariffs in Trucking Dispute
TweetAugust 18, 2010
Today, the Mexican Secretary of the Economy published a notice amending the list of U.S. goods subject to retaliatory tariffs in connection with the ongoing cross-border trucking dispute. The tariffs were originally implemented on March 18, 2009 after the U.S. Congres unilaterally cancelled the Cross-Border Trucking Service Demonstration Program with Mexico. Although the U.S. has made progress towards compliance by removing certain legal restrictions on the Department of Transportation’s budget, it has yet to present a formal proposal for allowing Mexican trucks to operate freely in North America in accordance with NAFTA.
As a result of the U.S. continuing failure to resolve the dispute, Mexico is revising the list of U.S. goods subject to increased tariffs. The new list drops certain products, such as certain wireless headsets with microphones, but adds several new ones, like fresh oranges and certain pork cuts. The list imposes ad valorem tariffs of up to 100 percent on melt adhesive, but the majority of the tariffs range between 10 and 20 percent.
Tomorrow, Mexico will begin applying increased tariffs on goods of US origin* as follows (unofficial translation):
Subheading |
Description |
Tariff |
0203.12.01 |
Hams, shoulders and cuts thereof |
5% |
0203.22.01 |
Hams, shoulders and cuts thereof, without bone |
5% |
0406.10.01 |
Fresh cheese (unripened), including whey & churd |
25% |
0406.30.99 |
Processed cheese, not grated or powdered; other |
25% |
0406.90.04 |
Parmegiaano-Reggiano or Grana, with a content by weight of fat or less 40%, containing by weigh of water, no matter fat, less than or equal to 47%; danbo, edam, fontal, fontina, fynbo, gouda, havarti, maribo, samsoe, esrom, italic kernhem, saint-nectaire, saint-paulin and taleggio, containing by weight of less than 40% |
20% |
0406.90.99 |
Other |
25% |
0604.91.02 |
Christmas trees |
20% |
0703.10.01 |
Onions |
10% |
0705.11.01 |
Cabage |
10% |
0710.40.01 |
Sweencorn |
15% |
0802.12.01 |
Pistachios shelled |
20% |
0802.50.01 |
Pistachios |
20% |
0802.50.99 |
Other |
20% |
0804.10.01 |
Fresh Dates |
20% |
0804.10.99 |
Other Dates |
20% |
0805.10.01 |
Oranges |
20% |
0805.40.01 |
Grapfruit |
20% |
0806.10.01 |
Strawberries |
20% |
0808.10.01 |
Apples |
20% |
0808.20.01 |
Pears |
20% |
0809.10.01 |
Appricots |
20% |
0809.20.01 |
Cherries |
20% |
0810.10.01 |
Strawberries |
20% |
0813.30.01 |
Apples |
20% |
0813.50.01 |
Mixtures of fruit, nuts and dried nuts of this chapter |
20% |
1104.12.01 |
Of Oats |
10% |
1602.49.01 |
Cooked pig leather pieces |
20% |
1704.10.01 |
Chewing gum, even sugar-coated |
20% |
1806.31.01 |
Chocolates; stuffed |
20% |
1806.32.01 |
Chocolates; not filled |
20% |
1902.19.99 |
Pasta, whether or not cooked or staff, other |
10% |
2004.10.01 |
Potatoes |
5% |
2005.40.01 |
Peas |
20% |
2008.11.99 |
Nuts, peanuts (ground nuts); other. |
20% |
2008.19.01 |
Almonds |
20% |
2008.19.99 |
Almonds; others |
20% |
2008.60.01 |
Cherries |
20% |
2009.80.01 |
Other fruit juice or fruit or begetable |
20% |
2009.90.01 |
Vegetable juice. |
20% |
2009.90.99 |
Vegetable juice; other |
20% |
2103.10.01 |
Soy Sauce |
20% |
2103.20.01 |
Ketchup. |
20% |
2103.90.99 |
Tomato preparations; other |
20% |
2104.10.01 |
Soups and broths; soups and broths and prepations |
10% |
2106.90.06 |
Concentrate of a single fruit or vegetable, fortified with minerals or vitamins. |
15% |
2106.90.07 |
Mixtures of concentrated fruit juice, vegetable juices, fortified with minerals or vitamins |
15% |
2106.90.08 |
With a higher milk solids content than 10% by weight. |
15% |
2201.10.01 |
Mineral water. |
20% |
2204.10.99 |
Sparkling Wine |
20% |
2204.21.02 |
Red wines, rose, claret or white, alcohol up to 14% Alc. To Vol temperature of 20 cel. In containers of clay, ceramic or glass. |
20% |
2206.00.99 |
Other fermented beverages. |
20% |
2306.30.01 |
Bran, Sharps and other residues of sunflower seeds |
15% |
2306.49.99 |
Other oil cake and other solid residues of other rape or colza seeds. |
15% |
2309.10.01 |
Dog or cat food for retail sail. |
10% |
3213.10.01 |
Artists, students, or signboard painters colours, modifying tins, in tables, tubes, jars bottles, pans or similar forms of packaging, in assortments. |
10% |
3304.30.01 |
Preparations for manicures and pedicure |
10% |
3304.99.99 |
Other |
5% |
3305.10.01 |
Shampoos |
10% |
3305.30.01 |
Hair lacquers |
10% |
3305.90.99 |
Others |
10% |
3306.10.01 |
Dentifrices |
10% |
3306.90.99 |
Other |
10% |
3307.10.01 |
Preparations for shaving |
10% |
3307.20.01 |
Deodorants and antiperspirants |
10% |
3405.30.01 |
Polishes (glosses) and preparations similar bodies except preparations metal polishes |
15% |
3506.91.03 |
Melt adhesives 100% concentrate solids, plastic base artificial waxes and other components. |
10% |
3924.10.01 |
Dishes and other service items kitchen or tables |
15% |
3924.90.99 |
Other. |
15% |
3926.40.01 |
Statuettes and other ornaments |
15% |
4015.19.99 |
Articles of apparel of vulcanized rubber; other |
15% |
4016.91.01 |
Floor coverings and carpets of vulcanized rubber. |
10% |
4818.10.01 |
Toilet paper |
5% |
4820.20.01 |
Notebooks |
5% |
4901.99.99 |
Other printed books, brochures, leaflets, and similar printed matter, whether or not in single sheets. |
15% |
4911.99.02 |
Tickets or raffle tickets, lotteries shows, train and other transportation services. |
15% |
4911.99.03 |
Printed with clear writing. |
15% |
4911.99.05 |
Plastic cards for identification and for credit without tape |
15% |
5511.10.01 |
Of synthetic staple fibers. |
15% |
7013.49.03 |
Glass limestone |
15% |
7612.90.99 |
Aluminum casks, drums, cans, boxes and similar containers (including rigid or collapsible tubular containers), for any material (other than compressed or liquefied gas), of a capacity not exceeding 300 liters, whether or not lined or heat insulated, but n; other |
15% |
8302.41.02 |
Rods. |
15% |
8304.00.99 |
Desk-top filing or card-index cabinets, paper trays, paper rests, pen trays, office-stamp stands and similar office or desk equipment and parts thereof, of base metal, other than office furniture of heading 9403 |
15% |
8418.10.99 |
Other combined refridgerator-freezers, fitted with separate external doors. |
15% |
8418.21.01 |
Of compression |
20% |
8419.81.01 |
Coffee pots |
15% |
8421.39.99 |
Other filtering machinery and apparatus for gases |
5% |
8422.11.01 |
Dish washing machines;;; for household use. |
15% |
8429.59.01 |
Trenchers |
15% |
8450.12.01 |
House laundry machines |
20% |
8450.12.99 |
Household laundry machines; other |
15% |
8516.79.99 |
Other electic instantaneous storage water heaters for automobiles. |
15% |
9004.10.01 |
Sun glasses |
10% |
9020.00.01 |
Gas masks |
5% |
9504.30.99 |
Other games operated by coins |
15% |
9608.10.01 |
Ball point pens of common metal |
15% |
9608.10.99 |
Ball point pens; other |
15% |
9608.20.01 |
Pens and felt tip markers with other porous tips. |
15% |
9608.99.99 |
Other |
15% |
9609.10.01 |
Pencils, except as covered by 9609.10.02 |
15% |
According to comments made by Mexican Economic Minister Ruiz Mateos, the sanctions are meant to highlight the anticompetitive nature of the current system, under which cargo trailers at the border are pulled by three different trucks. Minister Mateos also indicated that talks to resolve the dispute cannot begin until the US Congress has confirmed a Commerce Secretary.
For its part, the Obama administration reacted to the announcement with disappointment, but offered no details on when a proposal will be forthcoming or what it might entail.
*The increased tariff rates only apply to goods of US origin. Goods from third countries warehoused in the US and then trucked to Mexico would not be subject to these tariffs absent any processing in the US that would trigger one of the tariff shift rules in 19 CFR 102.