Mexican publishing industry faces uncertainty, as sector grapples with potential US tariff impacts and limited government support; experts warn increased costs of raw materials and economic slowdowns may further erode book commercialization

April 23, 2025 (CE Noticias Financieras (Latin America)) –

It is with uncertainty that the Mexican publishing industry commemorates today the World Book Day, the first celebration of books in Claudia Sheinbaum's time. A date that is framed by the expectation of whether the book sector will be impacted by the U.S. tariff war, and by the publication, last Wednesday, April 15 , of the National Development Plan 2025-2030, which dedicates only one of the 100 commitments to the "Promotion of reading circles in all areas", but in which there is no mention of the Mexican publishing industry.

"Having more readers does not only mean promoting reading. It is about having a harmonious and quality publishing production," says cultural manager and cultural policy analyst Eduardo Cruz Vázquez , who points out that the impact of tariffs on the book value chain is actually the least of it. "Our exchange is of low depth and, if there are increases in raw materials, equipment, services and goods, they will affect those who have the consumer power to assimilate it".

Tomás Granados , editor and analyst of the book, assures that the paper manufacturers have not announced increases in their products, nor have the printers; "the most serious thing, however, will come from the consequences of the trade war: lower growth (and even recession), with the consequent effect on non-essential 'products', such as books".

There he points to the analysis of the situation of the publishing sector in Mexico where uncertainty prevails. "Books are protected as a cultural product within the treaty. As long as the agreement is respected, that protection is maintained," says Diego Echeverría, president of the National Chamber of the Mexican Publishing Industry (Caniem).

However, the situation is not at all rosy, and it could even be said that the publishing industry is going through a crisis due to various national and international factors. The last federal administration cancelled all incentives for the publishing industry, acquisition programs for libraries and support for co-publications, and even cancelled the purchase of secondary school textbooks. And the current government shows no interest in working with the private publishing sector, much less promoting stimuli.

"What we should ask ourselves again is why it has not been possible to stimulate an industrial publishing policy to take advantage of the Spanish-speaking market in North America . The opportunity to give Mexico a publishing industry capable of exporting to the Hispanic world was missed decades ago," says Cruz Vázquez .

In 2024, the Caniem reported a decrease of 22.4% in the commercialization of books in 2023, with respect to the previous year, a fall determined by the cancellation of the purchase of Textbooks.

The outlook is aggravated by the uncertainty of the increase that could come in the cost of inputs such as paper and inks, and even the increase in printing and book import costs that could result from the tariff war decreed by President Donald Trump . Diego Echeverría, president of Caniem, says that it is complex to accurately identify all the raw materials, machinery and inputs involved in the production and commercialization of books in the country, as well as to know their origin. "However, so far we have not detected a direct affectation. It is a changing environment and we remain vigilant."

Cruz Vázquez sees it as more feasible that, when entering a trade war between Spain and the United States , "due to the powerful Spanish bookstore muscle, the Mexican consumer will be hit on the rebound".

The reality is uncertain, even for the university book sector. Socorro Venegas , director of Publications and Editorial Promotion at UNAM, assures that there is still no clarity regarding increases, "sales to the U.S. market are through distributors and they are still waiting for the reactions of their own clients". He says that UNAM has explored other possibilities for printing and marketing in keeping with the current times, such as electronic publications and printing on demand.

This is also one of the criticisms of the Mexican publishing system, says Cruz Vázquez , who points out that if there were a publishing system it would rationalize "what today is done willy-nilly in public universities and state governments". But that is not in the interest of the President, who in her National Development Plan in its Strategy 2.6.2 only states: "Encourage reading and access to books as tools for the promotion of cultural content, developing skills and knowledge."