Mexican Exporters Hold Back Shipments to US, Hoping for Tariff Reversal

Ciudad Juarez, Mexico – Mexican companies have slowed exports to the United States after President Donald Trump’s sudden imposition of 25% tariffs on all Mexican goods, hoping for a potential policy reversal.

On Tuesday, the first day of the tariff implementation, exports from Ciudad Juarez—a key manufacturing hub near El Paso, Texas—dropped by 40%, holding back an estimated $100 million worth of goods, according to Marcelo Vazquez of Mexico’s National Association of Importers and Exporters (ANIERM).

“The movement of these products has been stopped in hopes that soon… there will be an agreement to lift the tariffs,” Vazquez told Reuters.

The tariffs have heightened tensions between the US and Mexico, Canada, and China, triggering trade wars that could increase prices in the US and hurt the Mexican economy.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is set to discuss the tariffs with Trump in a phone call on Thursday, fueling speculation of a possible reprieve.

If the tariffs remain in place, experts warn they could disrupt supply chains, stall foreign investment, and force Mexico to diversify its markets beyond the US.