Bill in the US proposes tariffs on all countries

A new bill introduced in the US Congress proposes an additional 15% tariff on products imported from countries with which the United States has trade deficits, such as Mexico.

The initiative was promoted on Thursday by Representative Beth Van Duyne (Republican from Texas) and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.

The bill mandates the imposition of a 15% tariff on products originating from countries with which the United States has trade deficits and a 10% rate for those with which it has surpluses.

Van Duyne argues in his initiative, entitled “Fair Trade Act of 2026”, that these tariffs would be in addition to any other duties imposed by U.S. customs.

From January to October 2025, the largest US trade deficits in goods were with China ($175.4 billion), Mexico ($164.8 billion), Vietnam ($145.8 billion), Taiwan ($111.9 billion) and Ireland ($109.2 billion).

Van Duyne's initiative comes days before the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether or not to uphold the tariffs imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the tariffs targeting Mexico, Canada, and China over migration and fentanyl, all based on a declaration of "national emergency."

Conversely, in the first 10 months of 2025, the main surpluses of the United States in its merchandise trade were with the Netherlands ($49.5 billion), the United Kingdom ($24.8 billion), Hong Kong ($24 billion), the United Arab Emirates ($19.1 billion) and Brazil ($10.5 billion).

At the end of 2025, the National Council of the Export Manufacturing Industry (Index) predicted a “low probability” that the aforementioned Trump tariffs would remain in place, considering the pronouncements regarding the first hearing held on November 5, 2025, at the Supreme Court.

Despite everything, Vidal Llerenas, Undersecretary of Industry and Commerce at Mexico's Ministry of Economy, is confident that Mexico will maintain the best average tariff rate in the United States compared to any other nation.

“We will be in a better position than most of the world’s economies, because the Treaty will continue,” he said this Friday during his participation in the Economic Outlook 2026 Seminar, organized by ITAM.

If the IEEPA tariffs remain in place, Mexico retains an advantage (tariff-free goods that comply with the USMCA). However, there are risks during the transition (sections 122/301): no automatic exemption for goods that comply with the USMCA rules of origin.

Apart from the ruling on IEEPA, the Section 232 tariffs—which are the most damaging to Mexico—are not subject to this legal process and will remain in effect.

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