Former Mexican Secretary of Economy, Ildefonso Guajardo, stated that it is crucial for Mexico to improve its strategic positioning in light of the possibility that U.S. President Donald Trump may seek to relaunch the Mexico-United States-Canada Agreement (USMCA) instead of revising it.
Guajardo explained that Trump discovered he could use the threat of imposing tariffs on Mexico as leverage to negotiate issues of his interest. Moreover, the expert pointed out that Trump is convinced that this strategy worked for him in the past, which would lead him to continue with it during the current administration. Despite this, Guajardo emphasized that the chances of achieving a relaunch of the USMCA are low but not nonexistent.
Regarding relations with the United States, Guajardo recommended that Mexico involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy together to strengthen its trade agreements and avoid weakening itself on that front. He also noted that Trump does not respect the experience of public servants or public policy, which could complicate future trade negotiations.
On the other hand, Guajardo revealed that during his time as secretary, he had to play the role of the 'bad cop' in trade negotiations with officials from the Trump administration, while other Mexican representatives played the role of 'good cop' to contain confrontations. However, the expert believes that currently he does not see the right interlocutors in the government of Claudia Sheinbaum, which could hinder the negotiation process.
In summary, Guajardo warned about the importance of Mexico strengthening its strategic position in light of Trump’s potential intentions to relaunch the USMCA and suggested seeking greater alignment among Mexican governmental entities to face the upcoming trade challenges.
