“ Mexico imports more steel from the United States than it exports to them,” said Ebrard, who made a press conference of Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum. The minister has not revealed whether Mexico plans to impose retaliatory duties.
— It makes no sense to impose duties on the country to which you sale more,” said Ebrard, quoted by Mexican media. In a akin tone, Sheinbaum spoke, signaling its intention to negociate with the Trump administration on those duties to begin to apply on 12 March.
Trump signed on Monday a memorandum on the imposition of universal 25% duties on steel and aluminium from all countries, “no exceptions”. He assessed that the import of these products "risked the national safety of the USA" and the duties would aid the national economy.
New duties introduced by Donald Trump
Almost a 4th of the U.S. steel utilized comes from imports, and Mexico, alongside Canada and Brazil, is 1 of the leading suppliers," said Reuter. Ebrard stressed that Mexico is the largest client of steel products from the USA.
Similar duties — 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium — Trump had already imposed in his first term, but partially excluded from these were Canada, Mexico and Brazil, and the European Union, Japan and the United Kingdom for Joe Biden's presidency.
After swearing in on 20 January Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada, assessing that these countries should do more to halt illegal migration and smuggling of fentanyl into the US. Following negotiations, he suspended the introduction of these duties by 1 March in exchange for concessions on strengthening border security.
