Mexico Metropolis, Mexico – On the point of a commerce warfare along with her largest industrial accomplice, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday was in a position to pause a 25% tariff on Mexican imports into the U.S. which was introduced on Saturday by President Donald Trump.
In change, Sheinbaum promised to ship 10,000 Nationwide Guard troops to the border to stop drug trafficking.
On Monday morning, Sheinbaum shared on her X account that Trump had compromised and paused the tariffs for 30 days, provided that her administration pledged to ship troops to the border to curb drug smuggling, notably fentanyl.
Welcomed by a spherical of applause on her morning briefing, President Sheinbaum mentioned that after a “lengthy” cellphone name with President Trump hours earlier than, each leaders had dedicated to placing a short lived halt on the tariffs whereas pledging to create joint job groups to sort out safety and commerce.
“It’s a matter of working collectively to coordinate with out dropping our sovereignty regarding our territories and our scope of motion, and he agreed that we should always arrange this working group to place this plan of motion within the framework of our sovereignty that may give outcomes,” she mentioned.
In keeping with Sheinbaum, Trump made commitments of his personal and allegedly vowed to hamper the stream of weapons into Mexico. In keeping with the Secretariat of Overseas Relations, “70-90% of traced firearms originated from and handed by way of the US,” as per the Wilson Middle.
“And we requested him that the USA would additionally assist our nation to stop the trafficking of weapons from the USA to Mexico – He agreed,” mentioned Sheinbaum.
In a post of his personal on his social media platform, Fact Social, Trump didn’t point out curbing the unlawful import of firearms from the US into Mexico, and the Republican chief – who’s backed by gun lobbyists – rolled back controls on worldwide gun gross sales throughout his first time period as president, doubtlessly bringing into query his dedication to stopping the so-called “iron river” of weapons into the arms of Mexican cartels.
Allocating extra Nationwide Guard troops to Mexico’s northern border may even have grave human rights penalties.
In recent times, with strain from the US to curb migrant flows northward, Mexico has taken a extra militaristic approach to migration coverage. Within the first month of Shienbaum’s administration, 10 immigrants have allegedly been killed by the army in two separate situations. In each situations, the army mentioned they mistook the migrants as members of felony teams.
Learn extra: 2 Colombians killed by Mexican National Guard in Baja California
On the point of a commerce warfare
On Saturday, the Trump administration introduced that it will impose a 25% tariff on imports from its closest commerce companions in Mexico and Canada, and a ten% tariff on imports from China – with some exclusions for oil and vitality imports.
He used the Worldwide Emergency Financial Powers Act (IEEPA) to take the extraordinary measure, saying that the international locations weren’t pulling their weight to assist cease the stream of immigrants and medicines – notably fentanyl – into the US.
He accused Mexico’s authorities of getting an “insupportable alliance” with drug cartels. Sheinbaum instantly condemned the “slanderous” feedback and mentioned her administration would keep it up “tariff and non-tariff measures in protection of Mexico’s pursuits.”
Tensions with China and different elements led to Mexico turning into the USA’ largest buying and selling accomplice in 2024, exporting over USD $450 billion in worth to its northern neighbor.
The industrial relationship set by the United States-Mexico-Canada Settlement (USMCA) – signed in 2018 throughout Trump’s first time period – has resulted in a deficit favoring Mexico, a lot to Trump’s misery.
Sheinbaum’s deal, to this point, has forestalled any financial calamity. Nevertheless, the specter of tariffs looms and the 2 international locations will proceed to barter favorable circumstances for each side.
