President Claudia Sheinbaum recognized at the very beginning of her press conference Thursday morning that The American government has not announced any “mutual rate” on imports from Mexico Wednesday.
Mexico and Canada – which, with the United States, is the signatories of the USMCA free trade pact – were among a very small group of countries which avoided reciprocal rates on their exports to the largest economy in the world.
Reciprocal rates of the Liberation Day 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/odckbuwkvo
– The White House (@Whitehouse) April 2, 2025
A partial list of countries affected by the new American prices. (CNBC)
President Donald Trump imposed prices of at least 10% on imports of almost all countries of the world, with reciprocal rights reaching 49% in the case of Cambodia.
“Some of the most sanctioned countries in the world – Russia, Belarus, Cuba and North Korea – have avoided being distinguished for a special punitive treatment”, ” Reuters reported.
Sheinbaum: Mexico avoided additional rates due to the “good relationship” with us
“I guess you heard President Trump’s message yesterday on this new trade and tariff policy of the United States for the rest of the world?” Sheinbaum said at the start of his press conference.
“In the case of Mexico, there are no additional prices … and it’s good for the country,” she said.
“Although some people do not want to recognize it, it has to do with the good relationship that we have established between the government of Mexico and the government of the United States which is based on respect – respect for our sovereignty, our collaboration, our coordination, but with the respect of Mexico, Mexicans and our national sovereignty,” said Sheinbaum.
“This allowed Mexico to avoid additional prices,” she said.
“And that also has to do with the strength of our government. And as I always say, there are many people in Mexico. This is the strength of our country, that is there, in that there is no division between the people and the government,” said Sheinbaum.
Dialogue with us on car rates and steel continues
Sheinbaum has recognized that exports from the automobile, steel and aluminum from Mexico are subject to American prices. The same goes for goods that do not respect the rules of the USMCA.
The 25% price of the United States on vehicles Made outside the United States entered into force on Thursday. Vehicles assembled in Mexico and Canada will face a lower rate rate when exported as part of the USMCA, as the American content in these vehicles will be exempt from the obligation. American prices on certain automotive parts will take effect on May 3.
The 25% price of the United States on steel, aluminum and hundreds of products made from these metals took effect last month. It will apply to canned beer and empty aluminum cans from Friday.
Sheinbaum stressed that automotive, steel and aluminum prices apply to all countries, “not only Mexico and Canada”.
She noted that car rates have special “characteristics” for exported vehicles from Mexico and Canada, and stressed that the North American automotive industry is “very integrated”.
Sheinbaum said his government organized current talks with its American counterpart on automotive, steel and aluminum prices, indicating that it hopes that Mexico could win a suspended.
She noted that she would present Government plan to strengthen the Mexican economywhat she said “has to do with Mexico plan», At noon Thursday.
On Wednesday, Sheinbaum said that it would present a “full program” to strengthen the Mexican economy that would go beyond the response to American prices.
Ebrard: “We have preferential treatment”
Speaking after Sheinbaum, the Minister of the Economy Marcelo Ebrard noted that the United States has 14 free trade agreements and imposed “reciprocal prices” on all its free trade partners, with the exception of Mexico and Canada.
“Today we have preferential treatment,” he said.
Ebrard said the preferential treatment granted to Mexico is the result of The president’s strategy in the treatment of the United States government.
“This is a great success. … Very recently, there will be no exception,” he said, referring to the imposition of reciprocal rates.
The USMCA “is still standing”
Ebrard said that the fact that Mexican products are not subject to reciprocal prices when shipped to the United States means that the USMCA “is still standing”.
“This is a major achievement. We do not care because in a new commercial order based on prices, it is very difficult for a free trade agreement to survive,” he said.
“In other words, if we had not reached this, your question would be:” What happened with the (trade) agreement? ” Right? “Ebrard told journalists.
The Minister of the Economy stressed that a wide range of products can be exported without a price to the United States, including agricultural products, electronic products, chemicals, clothing, shoes and medical devices.
The industries that make products not subject to American prices employ millions of people in Mexico, he said.
40 -day objective of Mexico
“Our goal in the next 40 days is to achieve the best conditions among all the countries in the world for the automotive industry (Mexican),” said Ebrard.
“The same for steel and aluminum,” he added.
Ebrard and other Mexican officials will try to achieve these objectives by dialogue with US officials, including trade secretary Howard Lux.
“We are going to work the next 40 days,” said the Minister of the Economy.
“… This is what comes next, and we believe that it will be around 40 days of negotiations,” said Ebrard.
By the editor -in -chief of Mexico News Daily Peter Davies ((Protected by e-mail)))
