Mexico says enough is enough. “It’s over. Those who want to import footwear (mainly from Asia and at low prices) will have to pay duties”. Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said this while announcing the end of the Immex program for finished footwear. Used illicitly, the program allowed the import of low-priced footwear from Asia. Shoes that, instead of being re-exported as the program intended, were sold on the local market, penalizing local production.
Inappropriate use
Mexico ‘s footwear industry convinced the Claudia Sheinbaum-led government to exclude the import of finished shoes from Immex. These products, which were previously duty-free, will now be subject to a duty of at least 25%. Approved in 2021, the Immex program allowed the temporary import of shoes that then had to be “reworked” and re-exported. But its misuse allowed large volumes of finished footwear to enter Mexico with tax breaks. These items were not re-exported but rather placed on the domestic market, penalizing the production of local shoe manufacturers.
The data
According to the Chamber of Commerce, footwear imports under Immex increased from 3.79 million pairs in 2022 to over 40 million in 2024 (source El Economista). Without, by the way, any evidence of re-exportation abroad. Footwear organizations have denounced the abuses and damage caused by the Immex system for years . Now the Mexican government has decided to listen to them and exclude finished footwear from the program.
Mexico says no more
The measure was greeted with enthusiasm and satisfaction by the National Chamber of the Footwear Industry (Canaical) and the Chamber of the Footwear Industry of the State of Guanajuato (Ciceg). As Fashion Network reports, spokespeople commented on how the measure represents a decisive step in the defense of national production, employment, and legality in the sector.
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