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The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, mentioned the possibility of imposing tariffs on goods from the United States in response to President-elect Trump’s threats. She stated that implementing high tariffs would harm both countries.
Written by Simon Romero
Simon Romero covers news and events in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean region
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, responded on Tuesday to President-elect Trump’s threat to impose a 25 percent tariff on all goods entering the United States from Mexico. She indicated that Mexico was ready to retaliate with its own tariffs.
Ms. Sheinbaum argued that increasing tariffs would not effectively reduce illegal migration or drug consumption in the United States, contradicting Mr. Trump’s stance on the issue.
During her daily news conference, Ms. Sheinbaum emphasized the importance of dialogue and urged for negotiations with the incoming Trump administration. She also outlined the actions Mexico has already taken to address some of Mr. Trump’s worries.
Ms. Sheinbaum mentioned in a letter she is preparing to send to Mr. Trump that illegal border crossings between Mexico and the United States decreased significantly from December 2023 to November 2024. This decline was mainly attributed to Mexico’s actions to reduce migration within its own borders.
She mentioned that migrant caravans are no longer making it to the border.
Ms. Sheinbaum urged officials in the United States to take further action in tackling the underlying reasons behind migration.
In her letter, Ms. Sheinbaum suggested that if the United States redirected some of its military spending towards peace building and development, it could help tackle the root causes of migration.
Ms. Sheinbaum mentioned the possibility of a larger trade dispute that could harm the economies of both countries, specifically mentioning major car companies like General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford Motor Co. that have been doing business in Mexico for many years.
Ms. Sheinbaum questioned the decision to impose tariffs that could negatively impact both countries. She pointed out that imposing tariffs could result in retaliatory tariffs from the other side, putting joint businesses at risk.
Mexico relies heavily on trade with the United States, exporting approximately 80% of its products to the US.
Many industries in the United States, including semiconductor and chemical manufacturers, depend on selling their products to Mexico. In 2022, exports to Mexico made up almost 16 percent of all American exports.
According to Ms. Sheinbaum, Mexico is already working to address the issue of fentanyl smuggling to the US. However, she believes that the main issue lies in the demand for fentanyl in the US, describing it as a public health and consumption problem within American society.
Ms. Sheinbaum stated that the chemical ingredients needed for making fentanyl and other synthetic drugs are being smuggled into Canada, the United States, and Mexico from Asian nations. This highlights the importance of countries working together to address this issue.
Simon Romero is a journalist for The New York Times who reports on news in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. He works out of his office in Mexico City. For more information about Simon
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