Mexico City (AFP) – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that she had spoken with her US counterpart Donald Trump and agreed to work toward improving the trade balance between the two nations. Sheinbaum, whose country is considered one of the most vulnerable to Trump’s trade wars, described her conversation with him as “very positive” but said there was still no deal to remove tariffs.
“We agreed that the secretaries of the Treasury, finance, economy and commerce will continue working in the coming days on options to improve our trade balance and advance outstanding issues for the benefit of both countries,” she wrote on X. Sheinbaum said later at her morning news conference that there was no “specific agreement” yet with Trump on lifting import duties. “The important thing is that we’re working on it, and there’s a desire on the part of the US government and ours to reach even better trade agreements,” she said.
Trump, who has praised Sheinbaum as a “wonderful woman,” wants to reduce trade deficits with Mexico and other countries, citing what his administration terms “unfair” trade practices. The US leader has wielded the threat of hefty tariffs to achieve his goal. Sheinbaum said her government had proposed seeking ways for the two countries to buy more from each other “for the benefit of both.”
The United States had a goods trade deficit with Mexico of nearly $172 billion in 2024, an increase of 12.7 percent from the previous year, according to government figures. Trump has announced various tariffs targeting the Latin American nation, as well as several policy U-turns. While he left Mexico off the list of nations facing his steep “reciprocal tariffs,” its carmakers as well as steel and aluminum exporters still face duties.
Although Trump this week eased vehicle tariffs, “we still want better conditions for the automotive, steel, and aluminum industries,” Sheinbaum said. The Mexican leader says Trump’s tariffs contravene the two countries’ free trade agreement, which also includes Canada. Mexico replaced China in 2023 as the United States’ largest trading partner, with Washington buying more than 80 percent of its exports.
© 2024 AFP
