Mexico remains in discussions with the United States over potential trade measures under Section 301 as Washington continues parallel negotiations with multiple trading partners, according to Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard.
In 2026, the United States launched two separate Section 301 tracks. One covers 60 investigations focused on whether trading partners effectively restrict imports of goods made with forced labor. A second examines structural excess capacity and production across 16 economies, including Mexico.
Ebrard said the scale of the consultations has affected the timing of U.S. decisions. On excess capacity, he argued that bilateral trade imbalances cannot necessarily be explained by production capacity alone and that pricing also plays an important role.
Mexico is also addressing other bilateral trade issues ahead of the USMCA review, including Section 232 tariffs and rules of origin. Regarding measures affecting steel and the automotive sector, Ebrard said Mexico has presented data to assess their impact. He noted that Mexican steel exports have declined while U.S. imports from Asian suppliers have increased.
The economy secretary also said economic security and geopolitical considerations are playing a larger role in U.S. trade policy. He suggested these issues will need to be addressed in upcoming USMCA discussions, noting that the current agreement does not include a dedicated national security chapter.
Source: El Diario Mx
