Leaders of Mexico's automotive sector stated that this year's industry agenda will be determined by the progress of trade negotiations, as 90% of the industry is linked to the US market. US President Donald Trump called the trilateral agreement between Mexico, the United States, and Canada (USMCA) "irrelevant." The statement was made at an auto plant, the sector most affected in Mexico by regional trade tensions. To emphasize his message, he stated: "I'm not even thinking about the USMCA." Thus, the president dismissed the importance of regional integration, particularly in the automotive sector, assuring that the United States does not need the production of its northern trading partners. "A crucial moment is coming, there are no more important issues for us now than the treaty review and the tariffs we face," declared Rogelio Garza, head of the AMIA, at a conference. Despite this demand on the Mexican negotiating team, the industry's rhetoric points to high uncertainty, anticipating a complex review process, especially regarding rules of origin, so Trump's comments do not help calm the prevailing sectoral uncertainty. Manufacturers are calling for a 50% tariff on "junk" trucks amid a "catastrophic" 2025. This uncertainty was reflected in sales and production data, falling short of targets by the end of 2025, with a forecast of stagnation by the end of this year. The comment also contradicts the Mexican government's outlook. Just last Friday, Undersecretary Vidal Llerenas affirmed at an ITAM event with economic analysts his confidence in the continuity of the USMCA. "We want to bring them here."
