Mexico City, Mexico - The Mexican government has taken a leaf out of President Donald Trump's playbook and imposed major tariffs of up to 50% on Chinese imports across multiple sectors.

President Claudia Sheinbaum defended a tariff increase on goods from China and other countries with which Mexico has no trade agreements, saying that the measure was intended to strengthen the national economy.

The newly approved tariffs, which will also affect South Korea, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Taiwan and Brazil, must still be ratified by Sheinbaum.

They will impose a tariff of up to 50% on some goods from China, while others will sit at 20 or 35%. It's expected that they will take effect on January 1, 2026.

Sheinbaum insisted on Thursday the measures sought only to strengthen the Mexican economy, which is still dependent on the US.

"Our interest is not to generate conflict with any country in the world – we have great respect for China and very good relations with them," Sheinbaum told reporters Thursday.

The move parallels similar decisions taken by the Trump administration in 2025, which saw the US impose massive tariffs on nearly every country in the world and were particularly harsh on China.

Beijing reacted furiously to Mexico's decision, which will affect imports of automobiles, textiles, clothing, plastics, appliances and other products from China, warning that such a decision could "substantially harm the interests of relevant trading partners."

"Let me stress that going against the trend of economic globalization and resorting to protectionism serves no one's interests," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.

"We hope Mexico will correct the wrongdoing at an early date and work with China to uphold the overall economic and trade relations between the two countries."