China on Thursday condemned Mexico’s plan to sharply raise import tariffs on automobiles and other goods from countries with which Mexico does not have trade agreements, calling the measures discriminatory and saying they were the result of outside pressure.

Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters Beijing “firmly rejects moves that are taken under coercion to constrain China or undermine China’s legitimate rights and interests under any pretext”.

“We will firmly protect our rights and interests in light of the developments of the situation,” Lin added, stressing that China “advocates a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation” and opposes all forms of protectionism.

The comments followed Mexico’s Wednesday announcement that the government had submitted a proposal to Congress seeking tariff increases of up to 50 per cent on selected imports, with Chinese products directly in the crosshairs.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government said the plan was necessary to “protect hundreds of thousands of local jobs” in strategic sectors such as automobiles, steel, textiles and apparel.

The tariffs would affect about US$52 billion in imports, or 8.6 per cent of Mexico’s total, according to the country’s Economy Secretariat.

The proposal, which is expected to pass, given Sheinbaum’s congressional majority, comes amid mounting US pressure on other countries to align their trade policies with Washington’s increasingly confrontational stance towards Beijing.