The Mexican publishing industry celebrates World Book Day

With uncertainty the Mexican publishing industry commemorates today the world Book daythe first celebration of the book in times of Claudia Sheinbaum. A date that is part of the expectation of whether the book sector will be impacted by the Tariff war from the United States, and for the publication, on 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 not only goes through the promotion of reading. It goes through having a harmonious and quality editorial production,” says the cultural manager and analyst in cultural policies Eduardo Cruz Vázquezwho points out that it is actually the impact of tariffs on the value chain of the book. “Our exchange is of low draft and, if increased increases, both in raw materials, in the equipment, as in services and goods, will affect those who have consumption power to assimilate it.”

Tomás Granados, editor and book analyst, ensures that the Papers have not announced increases in their products or the printing press; “The most serious, however, will come from the consequences of the Commercial War: lower growth (and even recession), with the consequent effect on non -essential ‘products’, such as books ”.

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There points the analysis of the situation of the Editorial sector in Mexico where uncertainty prevails. “The 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 Editorial Industry (Caanie).

However, the situation is not flattering, it could even be ensured that Editorial Industry It is going through a crisis due to various national and international factors. The last federal administration canceled all the stimuli for the editorial industry, acquisition programs for libraries and support for coedments, even canceled the purchase of Textbooks of high school. And the current government shows no interest in working with the private editorial sector and much less promoting stimuli.

“What we should be to ask us why an editorial industrial policy has not been stimulated to take advantage of the Spanish -speaking market of the American territory. It makes lustra that the opportunity to be escaped to give Mexico an editorial industry capable of exporting to the Hispanic world,” he says Cruz Vázquez.

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

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

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Cruz Vázquez sees more feasible than, when entering a commercial war between Spain and the United States, “by the powerful Spanish bookseller, rebounding the Mexican consumer is hit.”

The reality is uncertain, even for the university book sector. Socorro Venegas, director of Publications and Editorial Development of the UNAM, ensures that there is still no clarity regarding increases, “US market sales are through distributors and they are still in expectation of reactions among their own customers.” He says that since the UNAM, other impression and marketing possibilities that agree with current times, measures such as electronic publications and printing on demand have explored.

That is also one of the criticisms of the Mexican publishing system, says Cruz Vázquez, who points out that if there was an editorial system, it would rationalize “what is now made crazy in public universities and in state governments.” But that is not in the interest of the president, who in her National Development Plan in her strategy 2.6.2 only establishes: “Promote reading and access to books as tools for promoting cultural content, developing skills and knowledge.”

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