The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, met on Friday night at the National Palace with several members of her cabinet, practically hours before the 25% tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump go into effect. Prominent figures in attendance included the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, and the director for North America of the Ministry, Roberto Velasco, along with other cabinet members.
During the meeting, which lasted about two hours, the heads of the ministries of Interior, Economy, Finance, Environment, and Natural Resources were also present, as well as the coordinator of the business advisory council, who chose not to make statements to the media. Trump reiterated his intention to impose a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada, and a 10% tariff on imports from China, as part of an effort to pressure these countries to reduce fentanyl trafficking and curb the arrival of migrants.
In her statements, Sheinbaum assured that she has plans A, B, and C in response to the 25% tariffs on Mexican products reaffirmed by Trump, but emphasized that she will wait for them to be finalized before detailing her response. Sheinbaum promised that she is "prepared" and stressed that maintaining dialogue is fundamental in the relationship between Mexico and the United States. Trump mentioned a possible tax on oil exported by Canada and Mexico, which is being evaluated.
Mexico is concerned about the tariffs because it is the largest trading partner of the United States, with export values to that country of 490.183 billion dollars in 2023, representing about 30% of Mexico's gross domestic product (GDP) according to a report from the Mexican Institute of Competitiveness (IMCO).
