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    Government/Policy

    July 10, 2026

    Mexico urges US steel, auto tariffs be removed: Report

    Written by Ethan Bernard

    The Mexican government is pushing to have steel and auto tariffs lifted in its next round of USMCA negotiations with the US, according to a report in El Pais.

    The article said the matter would be discussed in the next meeting between the two countries, which is set for July 20. The Mexican government said the tariffs and others “represent significant obstacles to bilateral trade and require immediate attention.”

    The move comes after President Trump recently decided not to renew the trade pact in its current form. This means that one-year reviews will take place until 2036.

    The agreement went into effect in 2020 under the first Trump administration. Since the beginning of the second Trump administration, the trade landscape has changed greatly.

    Notably for steel, Trump instituted 50% Section 232 steel tariffs, which went into effect in June 2025. USMCA partners Canada and Mexico had been exempt from the tariffs before Trump re-instituted them last year.

    A request for comment from Mexican steel trade group Canacero was not returned by time of publication.

    Ethan Bernard

    Ethan Bernard is managing editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years, starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

    Read more from Ethan Bernard

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