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The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, acknowledged this Friday that it is "complex" to negotiate with her American counterpart, Donald Trump, due to his protectionism and trade policy of applying tariffs, after Washington approved new levies on exports from 60 countries under the pretext of "forced labor."
"Well, it is complex. Firstly, because it completely changes global dynamics. President (Donald) Trump has a vision of re-industrializing the United States. That the manufacturing that moved out of the United States, mainly to China, to other Asian countries, and also to Mexico, Canada, and other nations, should return to the United States," the president stated in her press conference from Cuernavaca, capital of the state of Morelos (center).
This statement by Sheinbaum comes after the U.S. announced new tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, with the pretext of fighting forced labor globally. In Mexico's case, a 10% levy applies to its exports.
Despite Washington's protectionist vision, the head of state said that "it is difficult for all that industry to return to the United States," while highlighting the "very great" economic connection that North America has, which "is very difficult to separate."
"It cannot be that in the bilateral relationship of neighbors, and even beyond commercial partners, one seeks the well-being of one country against the lack of well-being of another (...) Mexico's prosperity helps the United States, the United States' prosperity helps Mexico," she argued.
Regarding the new tariffs, the president confirmed that the country and its commercial relationship with the United States "remains the same" by highlighting that all products within the trade agreement with North American partners (USMCA) will continue to have "zero tariffs."
"What happens to Mexico? It remains the same as it was. All products exported within the free trade agreement (USMCA) have zero tariffs, with the exception of vehicles and steel," she assured.
"At this moment, we do not have a new tariff beyond what we previously had. And we are working with the United States to reach a long-term agreement," she added.
Regarding her meeting at the National Palace (seat of the Mexican Executive Branch) with the United States Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, the president described it as a "very good" conversation in which "we are making progress" on different issues ahead of the review of the USMCA, which Washington refuses to extend in its current terms.
Sheinbaum explained that what Greer proposed was the need to promote "greater rules of origin," while her administration is seeking to renew the trade agreement "so that the treaty can be for even more than ten years."
This visit by the U.S. negotiator to Mexico is the third round of bilateral talks regarding the USMCA, the first since Washington decided not to automatically extend the USMCA for another 16 years and opted for a scheme of annual reviews until 2036.
[Publicidad]