US President Donald Trump announced that fresh tariffs targeting Mexico will not apply to trade covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) for the time being. He clarified, “This Agreement is until April 2nd.”
Trump shared that he had a telephonic conversation with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, after which he decided that Mexico “will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement.”
He emphasized that he and Sheinbaum are collaborating to curb illegal immigration and the flow of fentanyl into the US. Trump detailed the discussion on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating, “I did this as an accommodation, and out of respect for, President Sheinbaum. Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard, together, on the Border, both in terms of stopping Illegal Aliens from entering the United States and, likewise, stopping Fentanyl. Thank you to President Sheinbaum for your hard work and cooperation!”
The USMCA, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on July 1, 2020, is designed to create balanced trade relationships and economic growth across North America. In 2022, trade between the US and its USMCA partners reached approximately $1.8 trillion.
Meanwhile, Mexico had initially planned to retaliate against the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. President Sheinbaum had stated earlier that she would introduce countermeasures, including tariffs on American imports and other non-tariff measures, in response to the US decision. At a press conference in Mexico City, she remarked, “The unilateral decision made by the United States affects national and foreign companies operating in our country, as well as our people.” She further noted, “No one benefits from this decision.”