Mexico Expresses Concern over China’s 54.3% Tariffs on Pecans

ByBraulio Carbajal

This article by Braulio Carbajal originally appeared in the August 10, 2026 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

The government of Mexico expressed its concern over the preliminary ruling by China’s Ministry of Commerce imposing countervailing duties on Mexican exports of fresh pecans, after the anti-dumping investigation launched by that country preliminarily concluded that they are being sold at dumping prices in the Chinese market.

The Secretariat of Economy (SE) reported in a statement that it will seek to prevent the definitive imposition of these duties and reiterated its commitment to national producers and exporters in defending their commercial interests against the Chinese decision.

It recalled that the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China published, on September 25, 2025, the launch of the anti-dumping investigation into imports of fresh pecans from Mexico.

The SE noted that direct exports to the Asian country totaled 21.9 million dollars during 2024, though it warned that there is an additional volume that is first shipped to the United States and later re-exported to China, so the real value of the affected trade could be higher.

With the preliminary ruling announced this Monday, Mexican companies will be subject to duties of between 17.8 and 51.6 percent, while U.S. exporters will face a single rate of 54.3 percent. Both levies will take effect starting this Tuesday, according to the Chinese ministry.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce explained in its statement that the evidence gathered so far indicates that the products under investigation are being sold at dumping prices, which has caused “substantial damage to the relevant domestic industry” in China.

The Secretariat of Economy specified that, although the government of Mexico respects the anti-dumping procedure carried out by the Chinese authorities, the preliminary determination generates concern among the Mexican bodies involved in the case.

Since the start of the investigation, the agency has coordinated its actions with the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development and with the Embassy of Mexico in China to follow up on the process.

Mexican exporting companies have a period of 10 days to respond to the preliminary ruling published by the Chinese ministry.

The Secretariat of Economy and the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development stated that they will work jointly in defense of national companies during this stage of the procedure.