Mexico seeks US help in cutting back on imports from China
Mexican official tells Wall Street Journal government will focus on domestic supply chains, a potential problem as Washington-Beijing tensions rise
The government of newly inaugurated Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum plans to collaborate with the United States to reduce its reliance on Chinese supplies, The Wall Street Journal reported this week.
Luis Rosendo Gutierrez, Mexico’s deputy secretary of commerce, told The Journal in a report on Tuesday that Sheinbaum – who came into office on October 1 – intended “to focus on supporting our domestic supply chains”.
According to Gutiérrez, informal discussions have already been held with US semiconductor manufacturers, carmakers, and space technology companies to replace imports of goods and components from China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Analysts, however, noted the challenges of decoupling the Mexican and Chinese economies – even as US concerns about Mexico’s engagement with China could complicate US-Mexico relations.
The Journal also cited an internal Mexican government presentation, which identified the risks of maintaining robust trade ties with the US amid “a new consensus” in Washington supporting protectionist policies.
The document stated that Mexico might find itself in the middle of “a trade war between the US and China”.
