Mexico suspends duties on food staples to tackle inflation

Mexico will waive import duties for one year on a range of household staples, most of them foodstuffs, in a bid to curb inflation, the government said in its official gazette today.

The products on the government list included corn oil, rice, tuna, pork, chicken, beef, onions, jalapeño peppers, beans, corn flour, wheat flour, eggs, tomatoes, milk, lemons, white corn, apples, oranges, wheat and carrots.

Bread, potatoes, pasta for soup, sardines, sorghum and hand soap were also listed in the decree.

Duties would also be suspended on imports of live cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and chickens, the government said.

The government said the waiver on the household staples would take effect from Tuesday and be in force for a year. The waiver on livestock would enter force pending the approval of Mexico’s foreign trade commission, it added.

The measures could be extended for another year, it added.