The Secretary of Economy, Marcelo Ebrard, proposed the possibility of imposing tariffs on vehicles assembled in the United States as a defensive measure against Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Mexico. If the next Trump administration takes unilateral actions in this direction, both economies would be severely affected.
In an interview with Joaquín López-Dóriga, Ebrard mentioned that Mexico is willing to apply tariffs to the United States if a 25 percent tariff is imposed on it. This potential application of mutual tariffs between the T-MEC partners is not new, as in 2018 Mexico imposed retaliatory tariffs on the United States following the imposition of taxes on Mexican steel and aluminum products by the Trump administration.
Ildefonso Guajardo, who previously headed the Secretary of Economy, implemented a strategy of tariffs targeted at specific products such as flat steels, fruits, cheeses, and pork. These tariffs aimed to impact producers in U.S. districts with strong support for Trump, generating internal pressures that eventually favored negotiations.
Guajardo emphasized the importance of conducting a detailed analysis of foreign trade before implementing tariff measures against the United States, with the goal of responding efficiently and maximizing impact on strategic sectors in the U.S. without negative consequences for the Mexican economy.
A prudent strategy would suggest thoroughly assessing the current trade balance with the United States, identifying products that could affect politically high-value districts for Trump. Considering the experience of 2018, the Secretary of Economy could think about imposing tariffs on products that not only have an economic impact in the U.S. but also pressure key Trump support districts, covering agricultural, industrial, and consumer products, as well as the food and beverage sector.
