Mexico Fertilizer Duty Is Anti-Dumping Case, Not Payback, Says Sheinbaum
Mexico · TRADE
Key Facts
—Duty: US$0.1488 per kilogram on Chinese ammonium sulfate, a definitive anti-dumping measure.
—Case: Administrative file AD 30-24, published in the Diario Oficial on 14 August 2026.
—Investigation: Opened 20 February 2025; China’s pecan probe began 25 September 2025.
—Pecan deposits: Preliminary rates of 17.8% to 51.6% for Mexican exporters, 54.3% for US.
—Effective: China’s provisional cash deposits on pecans took effect 11 August 2026.
—Infrastructure: SICT programme of 1.33 trillion pesos for 2025-2030, covering 5,483 km of roads.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said the fertilizer duty stems from a separate anti-dumping case, not retaliation for China’s pecan measure. The Economy Ministry remains in contact with Beijing and with Mexican producers.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday Mexico’s fertilizer duty on China stems from a separate anti-dumping case, not payback for pecan measure. She denied retaliation and said talks with Beijing remain open.
Anti-dumping: A Denial, Not a Pledge
President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that Mexico’s duty on Chinese fertilizer is not retaliation for China’s pecan measure. Asked whether the already-published duty was payback, she answered: “No, tiene que ver con otro tema.”
“No es un tema politico,” she added, meaning it is not a political matter. She made no forward-looking commitment about future measures, only a denial about the existing duty.
She said the Economy Ministry is in communication with its counterparts in China, through the Chinese Embassy in Mexico, and with producers. The ministry has said it will seek to avoid the definitive imposition of China’s pecan duties.
She said the Economy Ministry is in communication with Chinese counterparts through the Chinese Embassy in Mexico, and with producers.
She did not commit to avoiding future measures.
The Fertilizer Duty’s Legal Basis
Mexico set a definitive anti-dumping duty of US$0.1488 per kilogram on Chinese ammonium sulfate. The final resolution under AD 30-24 published in Diario Oficial de la Federacion on 14 August 2026 took force 15 August.
The Economy Ministry’s Unidad de Practicas Comerciales Internacionales issued the resolution. It applies to tariff line 3102.21.01, regardless of shipment country, for goods originating in China.
The investigation opened on 20 February 2025, roughly seven months before China initiated its pecan anti-dumping investigation on 25 September 2025. The Finance Ministry will enforce the measure across the national territory.
China’s Preliminary Pecan Deposits
China’s MOFCOM Announcement No. 32 of 2026, issued 10 August, requires security deposits on Mexican and US pecans. These preliminary determinations, not final duties, took effect 11 August.
Mexican exporters face deposit rates of 17.8 to 51.6 percent, with Alta Vineyards at 17.8 and San Enrique at 23.0 percent. All US companies face a single 54.3 percent rate.
Mexico exported US$21.9 million of fresh pecans directly to China in 2024, with more transiting the United States. The Economy Ministry is contesting the measure, seeking to avoid its definitive imposition.
The measures target fresh and dried pecans, with the rate applied to dutiable value.
US Tariffs on Canadian Goods Loom
The United States will impose an additional 50 percent ad valorem duty on certain Canadian products, effective 12:01 a.m. eastern time on 19 August.
Washington and Ottawa were in talks on 18 August to stop the duties, which cover about US$20 billion of annual Canadian imports.
Three proclamations, all signed 20 July 2026, cover dairy (52 HTSUS subheadings, about US$97.2 million of 2024 imports), motor vehicles (439 subheadings, about US$19.3 billion) and alcoholic beverages (63 subheadings, about US$1 billion). The authority is Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, its first presidential use in about ninety years.
Exclusions cover energy, potash, fish, critical minerals and goods already under Section 232. The duties apply regardless of whether goods qualify under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
The proclamations cover about US$20 billion of annual Canadian imports, with talks ongoing to stop them.
The US Tomato Duty Order
The United States also maintains an anti-dumping duty order on Mexican fresh tomatoes, under section 735(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930. Commerce withdrew from and terminated the 2019 Suspension Agreement effective 14 July 2025.
The all-others rate is 17.09 percent, with company rates from 2.81 to 273.43 percent. The US International Trade Commission found on 30 June 2026 that no changed circumstances warranted revocation, so the order remains in force.
A Record Infrastructure Programme
Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Secretary Jesus Esteva Medina announced on 17 August a SICT investment programme of 1.33 trillion pesos for 2025-2030. At the Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles de Mexico, he detailed coverage of highways, rail and airports.
The programme includes 5,483 kilometers of trunk roads and 619 bridges. No peso-dollar exchange rate has been published for conversion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Mexico pledge not to retaliate against China?
No. President Sheinbaum denied that the existing fertilizer duty was retaliation for China’s pecan measure, saying it relates to another matter. She made no forward-looking commitment.
What is the new duty on Chinese fertilizer?
Mexico set a definitive anti-dumping duty of US$0.1488 per kilogram on ammonium sulfate imported from China. It applies to tariff line 3102.21.01 under administrative file AD 30-24.
What are China’s pecan measures on Mexico?
China imposed preliminary anti-dumping deposits of 17.8 to 51.6 percent on Mexican pecans and 54.3 percent on US pecans. The measures took effect 11 August 2026.
What is the US tomato duty on Mexico?
The US maintains an anti-dumping duty order on Mexican tomatoes, with an all-others rate of 17.09 percent. The order remains in force after a June 2026 review.
Sources
- www.riotimesonline.com
- www.stratego-st.com
- www.riotimesonline.com
- www.peacocktariffconsulting.com
- www.whitehouse.gov
- www.reuters.com
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