The textile industry, clothing and footwear are in favor of the reform of the customs law promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum as is under discussion in Congress, since “she will take out of intensive therapy” to the national industry, which has 11 quarters with consecutive falls, according to the president of the National Chamber of the Textile Industry (Canaintex), Rafael Zaga Saba.
“The data is very hard and we have 11 consecutive negative quarters in the textile industry, as well as 3 out of 5 garments sold in Mexico are illegal,” he said.
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According to the entrepreneur, the smuggling of clothes and footwear “the streets are flooded” of Mexico, so “it will end the industry and we are in an intensive therapy and if we do not leave it quickly, we will lose a lot of jobs,” said the leader of the industry, which generates more than one million 200 jobs in Mexico.
“Today Mexico has the ability to make a good textile product, dress and competitive footwear, at good prices and with high quality,” he said.
“To the textile industry, clothing and footwear do not let us compete and we have the Sovereo court, since there are imports of technical smuggling or bronco, which do not pay the value added tax and the tariffs,” he said.
“When the Mexican industry pays value added tax and tariffs we cannot share from you to you,” he said.
“We support 100 percent the reform of the customs law, and what has to be done so that Mexico has a national industry that buys from you against any country in the world,” he said.
Juan Carlos Cashat Usabiaga, president of the Chamber of the Footwear Industry of the State of Guanajuato (CICEG), said that they have been in Red Numbers for more than 20 months due to the smuggling of China shoes and tennis and other countries in Asia.
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He said that in 2024 Mexico imported more than 185 million pairs of Asia shoes, of which at least 40 million pieces entered illegally and smuggling through companies that illegally used the temporary import scheme.
José Pablo Maauad, President National Chamber of the Dress Industry (Canaive), said that textile, dress and illegal footwear products come from China and other Asian countries such as Indonesia and Bangladesh, whose economies are not market.
“We are playing with different rules, which give me a great advantage to products that are made in those countries,” he said.
He added that Mexico must take care of the doors of its market and generate the conditions for industries and jobs, as well as productive chains to be strengthened.
They said that the customs law includes the demands and contributions of the productive sectors affected by the bad practices in foreign trade, and represents a firm and responsible response to guarantee a fair, legal and competitive trade.
