Amid concerns about imports from platforms like Shein and Temu, the value of imports increased by 157% between 2013 and 2023, reaching $4.66 billion. Women’s clothing is the most purchased category.
Chinese competition is intensifying for Mexican textile and apparel manufacturers. Mexican imports of textile materials and their manufactured products from China have increased by 157% in the last decade, reaching a record $4.66 billion in 2023, according to data from the Bank of Mexico.
During the mentioned period, imports of Chinese products experienced an 86.2% increase, accounting for nearly half of total imports. Between 2013 and 2023, annual imports of textiles and clothing from China grew on average by 9.9%, surpassing the overall growth of Chinese imports, which was 6.4% during the same period.
At the VII National Meeting of the Fiber-Textile-Apparel-Footwear Chain, entrepreneurs expressed concern about the increase in imports of Chinese products, parallel to the rise of new e-commerce platforms like Shein and Temu. The National Chamber of the Clothing Industry (Canaive) noted that a large volume of e-commerce operations is carried out under the “de minimis” regime, exempt from taxes, and more than 60% of these products are textiles and footwear.
Both the Canaive and the National Chamber of the Textile Industry (Canaintex) denounced that some Chinese products enter the country under the regime of temporary imports and end up being sold for final consumption, thus evading tax payments.
Regarding specific imports, women’s clothing represented a significant portion, with around $600 million in imports from China in categories such as sweaters, tailored suits, sets, jackets, skirts, pants, stockings, and other hosiery items.
Despite this increase in Chinese imports, the Mexican textile and clothing industries have not yet fully recovered from the effects of the pandemic. While manufacturing in general has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, these industries are still below their pre-pandemic levels.
Authorities, during the mentioned meeting, promised to take measures to address the issue of temporary imports and protect the domestic industry. The Undersecretary of Industry and Commerce of the Ministry of Economy reported that temporary imports are being reviewed with the aim of protecting the industry, while the representative of the Tax Administration Service (SAT) pointed out that monitoring of temporary imports of textiles and clothing is being increased.
