Over 80 percent of Mexican exports to the United States will be exempt from a new round of tariffs announced by Washington, Mexican Economic Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Thursday.

The tariffs, which will hit some 60 countries, take effect Friday and come in response to investigations by the government of president Donald Trump regarding the use of forced labor in products exported to the United States, the Office of US Trade Representatives said in a statement.

But Ebrard said the majority of Mexican exports won't be affected because they comply with the requirements of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a regional free trade accord signed in 2020.

Ebrard said in a social media video that over 80 percent of Mexican exports "follow the rules of the free trade agreement that we have, USMCA. Which is to say, that's not changing."

Mexico is the largest commercial partner of the United States, with exports topping $558 billion between June 2025 and May of this year, according to official data.

Negotiators from both countries on Thursday participated in a final meeting to hash out updates to the treaty, which Washington has called deficient.

The duty, set at 10 percent for Mexico but reaching up to 12.5 percent for other countries, replaces a temporary levy imposed by Trump that expires on Friday.

Goods that are not covered under the USMCA will be subject to the new tariff, Ebrard said.

"We don't see a change in the tariff Mexico is paying today....it doesn't change the position we've had up to now," Ebrard added.