Up until August 2023, twenty-nine steel producers in Mexico have requested the Economic Secretary to investigate unfair trade practices in steel imports. This study explores the impact of these practices on the Mexican steel industry. We analyzed reports of investigations of unfair trade practices published by the National Chamber of the Steel and Iron Industry and conducted interviews with steel producers. Through exploratory data analysis and qualitative open content coding, we found that the importation of steel under unfair trade practices caused a reduction in internal sales ranging from -9% to -23%. Additionally, these practices decreased the operative margin between -6.9% and 57% of the national steel producers, depending on the steel product. On the other hand, the steel industry is highly capital-intensive, and the effects of these practices lead to the generation of idle capaci...

This study aims to analyze the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in Nuevo León in managing waste within the global value chain. The researchers interviewed a non-random sample of 20 SMEs. The findings revealed that these SMEs are actively involved in international trade and are part of global supply networks. Furthermore, these SMEs participate in industrial symbiosis by using waste from other enterprises as inputs in their production processes. These practices are generally informal and spontaneous, driven primarily by the aim of reducing material costs. However, there is potential to formalize and integrate these strategies into a sustainable production agenda.

This study aims to analyze the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in Nuevo León in managing waste within the global value chain. The researchers interviewed a non-random sample of 20 SMEs. The findings revealed that these SMEs are actively involved in international trade and are part of global supply networks. Furthermore, these SMEs participate in industrial symbiosis by using waste from other enterprises as inputs in their production processes. These practices are generally informal and spontaneous, driven primarily by the aim of reducing material costs. However, there is potential to formalize and integrate these strategies into a sustainable production agenda.