Mexico’s auto sector said on Monday it is worried about recent lobbying by local steel producers to restrict steel imports from China and other countries.
Mexican Auto Industry Association (AMIA) President Eduardo Solis told a news conference the auto industry was "enormously concerned" about the issue even as auto output rose 6.7 per cent in June to 306,694 units versus the same month last year.
In June, Mexico imposed tariffs on cold-rolled steel from China, and hot-rolled steel from China, Germany, and France after an anti-dumping investigation.
Solis said that the auto sector has not been affected by the new duties, but he remains attentive to any proposals that could impact the industry’s competitiveness.
Steel imports are a "fundamental component" of vehicles and auto parts, Solis said.
Mexico’s auto exports, meanwhile, rose 5.3 per cent to 242,720 units, AMIA said.