Mexico City, Mexico — “We disagree, it’s unfair and unsustainable said Mexico’s President on 50 percent increase in U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs. “Mexico has to protect and strengthen itself. We do not agree. We do not believe it is fair or sustainable because it makes everything more expensive. We hope to reach an agreement,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday.
She said that work will continue to reach an agreement with the United States though dialogue with the Steel and Aluminum Chambers, and that Plan Mexico will continue to be promoted.
President Sheinbaum said the measure imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to increase tariffs on steel and aluminum to 50 percent worldwide represents an unfair and unsustainable measure for Mexico.
“In Mexico’s case, first, it’s unfair, number one, because as we’ve said several times, Mexico imports more steel and aluminum than it exports. So, formally, a tariff is imposed when there’s a deficit, so to speak.
“In other words, “deficit” means, for the United States, that Mexico exports more than it imports. In our case, we import more steel. So, it’s unfair,” she stated during her Wednesday morning press conference.
She pointed out that moreover, this measure has no legal basis given that there is a trade agreement in addition to the fact that there is very close collaboration on other issues such as security, which has been recognized by the United States government itself.
“We don’t believe it’s justifiable. And the other thing is that it’s unsustainable because just as with cars, in the construction of a car, many auto parts move from one side of the border to the other and the same is true for steel,” she added.
Given this situation, Sheinbaum emphasized that talks will continue with the Steel and Aluminum Chambers. Also, work will continue to reach agreements with the United States through meetings held by the Mexican Secretary of Economy, Marcelo Ebrard and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick. Furthermore, Plan Mexico will continue to be promoted.
“Our responsibility, first, is to protect jobs, Mexican workers, and second, the steel industry. Fifty percent tariffs represent a significant impact on the steel and aluminum industries,” she added.
She reiterated that in the relationship with the United States, there is collaboration, but based on mutual respect, without subordination and as equals.
“We are seeking a global framework of agreements with the Trump administration so that in the next four years, we will no longer be on one issue after another but rather that everything will be perfectly clear, of course, regarding security, migration, but also trade, within the framework of the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement.
“So we seek this global agreement to be the framework for our Mexico-United States relationship,” she stated. Sheinbaum also said that if this is not the case, some measures will be announced to guarantee the protection of the steel and aluminum industries as well as the jobs they create.”
