Mexico Proposes 2% Tax on Phones, Screens and USBs: What It Means for You

October 28, 2026

El Gobierno de México propone un impuesto de 2% a celulares, pantallas y hasta USB

A draft decree proposes a levy based on the price of any device that stores or plays files to provide payments to creators.

Buying electronic devices could become more expensive. The administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum has asked importers and retailers of electronic goods to get ready to apply a 2% tax on any device that can play or hold data — a proposal that has previously been labeled the “digital cut”.

The initiative, driven by the Ministry of Culture, would cover items such as screens, computers, mobile phones and even USB drives or other storage media. The fee would be calculated on the product’s value. Although the plan envisions that manufacturers and importers would remit the charge, the extra expense is likely to be passed along to end consumers.

The proposal is part of suggested amendments to copyright regulations, so it is not in force yet. Its goal is to provide financial compensation to creators and rights holders for copies of their works that are reproduced, even when those copies are made for private, noncommercial use.

According to El País, which reviewed the draft decree from the president, “the obligation to pay the compensatory fee falls on the person who sells and imports the technological devices (…) The charge will be applied per device at the first commercial sale or importation that occurs within national territory. The compensation will be paid once for each unit.”

An additional notable aspect of the draft is the plan to establish an oversight committee to “ensure transparency in the collection and distribution of funds ”. The outlet that examined the document reports this body would include representatives from the Ministry of Culture, the National Copyright Institute and industry associations.

Reviving the 2021 “digital levy”

Back in 2021, Congress — including members of the ruling party’s caucus — rejected the so-called “digital levy”, which similarly sought to impose a charge on manufacturers and importers of digital storage devices.

The rationale has remained consistent: these devices can be used to make and keep private copies of protected works, causing losses to rights holders, and the measure could potentially raise between 4 and 6 billion pesos.

The proposal has already provoked reactions. Alonso Tamez, technical secretary of the Senate’s Artificial Intelligence Commission, told El Economista that creating, reinstating or raising taxes should generally be the government’s last resort, particularly while the cost of living remains high.

He also urged that other sources of revenue be exhausted first — for example, addressing underspending, identifying surplus funds, or eliminating wasteful expenditures. Only if those measures fail to meet needs, he said, should new taxes be discussed; they should not be seen as a default option for raising money.

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