Business leaders in the state foresee job losses and business closures due to the collection of 25% tariffs.
The imposition of 25% tariffs on Mexican products sent to the United States, announced by President Donald Trump after a 30-day pause to negotiate with the Mexican government, will imply a disastrous outlook for Yucatan due to job losses, the closure of export companies and a brutal fall in the economy, warned business leaders of Yucatan in the maquila and trade sectors.
Alejandro Guerrero Lozano, president of the National Council of the Maquiladora and Export Manufacturing Industry (Index) in the state, regretted that Trump is carrying out his threats despite the fact that President Claudia Sheinbaum has deployed elements of the National Guard on the northern border.
Given the uncertainty surrounding this international panorama, several local businessmen have suspended the shipment of containers to the neighboring country, awaiting the agreement of a measure that benefits Mexico or an additional extension to engage in new negotiations.
Exports in Yucatan represent a strength to the economy; in 2024, this industry generated an outflow of 60 billion pesos in products that were sent to the United States, such as finished clothing, jewelry, furniture, agro-industrial products, aerospace, automotive, medical, nautical and more.
American customers are not willing to pay such tariffs, they would stop buying Mexican and, therefore, Yucatecan products.
In addition, if Mexico puts tariffs on items imported from the neighboring country to the north, there would be an inflationary effect on consumer goods brought from that country. This would result in a vicious circle of increased tariffs that would impact the cost to the public and inflation.
