Mexico bans import of used tires

MEXICO CITY — The Mexican government has temporarily banned the import of used tires from the United States, a move that  Mexican shop owners say will raise prices for businesses and consumers alike.

For many Mexican tire shops, the ban represents a major operational shift. 

Shops that relied on inexpensive used tires from Texas and other U.S. states will now have to focus on selling new tires or offering additional services. 

“Now we’ll have to adjust operations and focus on new tires, even though low-income customers will have to pay two to three times more,” said Rolando Juárez, a tire shop owner in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.

More than 1.5 million used tires enter Mexico each year, and about 70% to 80% arrive with little to no remaining life, Karl Heinz Becker Hernández, the undersecretary of environment for Tamaulipas, said.

Only a small fraction of imported tires — roughly 20% to 30% — can be reused, meaning the majority become automotive waste that threatens public safety and environmental health along the border,  he said,

The issue has had a particular toll on cities like Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, and Matamoros. The worn-out tires create fire hazards, mosquito breeding grounds, and increase the risk of accidents, Becker Hernández said.

Mexican officials said the ban is part of a coordinated effort with U.S. authorities to assess accumulated tire stockpiles, develop joint disposal and recycling strategies, and support Mexico’s domestic tire industry, which has been undercut by cheap, discarded imports.

Local officials and environmental groups who have long warned about the risks of unregulated tire imports, say the decree marks a step toward improving road safety, sustainability, and industrial competitiveness along Mexico’s northern border.