▲ United States argues that Mexico has denied import permits for products that contain glyphosate, agrotoxic linked to transgenic cultivation.Photo taken from x
Braulio Carbajal
La Jornada newspaper
Friday, August 1, 2025, p. 5
Among the main tariff and non -tariff barriers that the United States has indicated by Mexico, according to the Office of the United States Commercial Representative (USTR), a series of obstacles that according to their point of view affect bilateral trade. From delays in health records for medical and pharmaceutical products, to restrictions that see as unjustified in the importation of genetically modified corn, glyphosate and agricultural chemicals.
In the energy sector, it indicates measures that prioritize state companies, such as the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), together with restrictions on foreign investment in renewable energy projects. From its perspective, this has limited the participation of US companies, evidencing the need to align Mexican policies with agreed commercial commitments.
The above was revealed in the National Estimate of Commerce (NTE) by 2025, an annual report presented last March by the UST, which details the commercial barriers faced by US exporters and initiatives to reduce them.
Eliminating tariff barriers immediately was the commitment that according to US President Donald Trump, the Mexican government accepted to delay 90 days the entry of 30 percent rates scheduled for this Friday, August 1. The US government has not specified what those barriers that Mexico promised to remove, but last March it had already given details.
Little anticipation
In this report, the UST also emphasizes customs matters by pointing out that Mexico continues to notify with little anticipation the modifications to its procedures, shows variable interpretations of the regulatory requirements in different border crossings and apply Mexican regulations and standards inconsistently.
He also points out that the T-MEC prohibits establishing arbitrary limits to the number of ports where an customs agent can operate. However, article 161 of the Mexican Customs Law restricts agents to operate in just four ports, if they are not affiliated with an customs agency. The United States insists that Mexico reforms this law to allow agents to work in any port where they can fulfill their functions.
As for the medical device industry, supplies and pharmaceutical products, the USTR reports that in Mexico they persist delays between 18 and 24 months in the approval of health records and import permits, so it requests structural reforms to expedite its exports.
On glyphosate, the UST indicates that Mexico has denied import permits for products that contain this compound without offering opportunities for public comments, notifying the World Trade Organization or presenting scientific evidence that supports these negatives. Despite this, glyphosate remains registered for use in Mexico.
Since January 1, 2021, a Mexican decree established the gradual elimination of glyphosate and products that contain it, with a deadline of January 31, 2024. This decree also prohibits the use of glyphosate in government programs during said elimination period.
The United States continues to press Mexico to issue glyphosate import permits and products that contain it, arguing that the compound remains registered for use in the country, according to the report.
