Commentary

Chinese Companies “Nearshoring in Mexico,” Making Washington Unhappy

Key Takeaways

  • The flow of trade from China to Mexico has surged in recent years and Chinese manufacturers are opening new facilities in Mexico at a rapid pace. China is Mexico’s fastest-growing source of inbound foreign investment, underscoring Mexico’s strategic importance to China’s global trade and investment strategy.
  • Chinese firms increasingly aim to leverage Mexico as a hub for re-export, allowing Chinese goods to circumvent U.S. tariffs and trade restrictions on products imported directly from China. As impediments to direct U.S.-China trade have expanded, in 2023 Mexico became the United States’ top trading partner—a position held by China for two decades.
  • This trend is attracting negative attention from U.S. lawmakers, who are speaking out against China utilizing Mexico even as required renegotiations of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) approach in 2026. U.S. policymakers have called for increased tariffs and stricter ‘rules of origin’ to slow down the expansion of Chinese transplants in Mexico. Such policies could add to Washington-Mexico political troubles and lead to new compliance burdens for U.S. companies that produce in Mexico, among other business impacts.

Related Posts

George Chen interviewed by CNBC on U.S.-Taiwan trade
“The semiconductor piece is crucial, a central piece of the whole deal,” says Chen. “Without the semiconductor agreement, I don’t ...
Expert Corner: Is Donald Trump Heralding a Great Power-led, Sphere-of-Influence-Centric World Order? What Does It Mean for Businesses and Asia?
In the backdrop of the U.S. National Security Strategy prioritizing the Western Hemisphere, American military action in Venezuela, U.S. President ...
Ashok Malik quoted in NYT on Sergio Gor’s address
“For the Indian system, the egregious 25 percent tariff is the touchstone,” said Ashok Malik, the India chair at the ...
Kurt Tong talks China diplomacy in shifting world order on Bloomberg: The China Show
TAG Managing Partner Kurt Tong shares insights on a broad set of recent issues, including the “Donroe Doctrine”, Venezuela, Iran, ...
Scroll to Top

You Are Applying For:

Chinese Companies “Nearshoring in Mexico,” Making Washington Unhappy

Apply Now

Submit the details below, and our HR team member will get in touch with you shortly.

The Asia Group is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant’s qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law. The Asia Group continually seeks to diversify its staff, particularly to broaden opportunities for individuals from demographic groups that are historically underrepresented in the strategic advisory profession.

"*" indicates required fields

1Personal Details
2Questionnaire & Application Materials
3Voluntary Self Identification
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Personal Details

Name*
Address*