Mexico’s economy secretariat (SE) is proposing a "high-impact" norm for domestically traded steel, it said. The move would obligate companies to comply with the nation’s official standard, NOM, an official, compulsory standard of 214 norms and regulations for diverse activities.
With the changes the nation’s economy secretariat is proposing, iron and steel products made in or sold within the Mexican territory should be certified by specialized institutions, which would, in turn, need to comply with the NOM norms.
According to the SE, current conditions “incentivize the production and imports of steel products with lower quality standards,” it said in a clear reference to Chinese imported steel.
SE argued the ruling will diminish what the Mexican steel industry has labeled as the “unfair competition” with Chinese steel, since better quality products would increase prices for the Asian products.
SE’s request is now being analyzed by Mexico's Federal Regulatory Improvement Commission, Cofemer, but has already resulted in divergences among different industry sectors.
The nation’s automotive, oil and civil construction industries do not approve SE’s proposal to release a new NOM to regulate the trade and production of steel products.
“NOM’s project is not clear,” said Eduardo Solis, president at Mexico’s automotive industry association, AMIA. In contrast, the nation’s distributors association said it supports the move, as it seeks to give steel consumers in Mexico more security.