Economy Minister Ebrard will present his country’s arguments to Howard Lutnick and Jamieson Greer.

On Tuesday, Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard stated that President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government is seeking consultations with Washington regarding the 25% tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump imposed on steel and aluminum.

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“What is Mexico going to do then? The instruction I have from President Sheinbaum is, first of all, to hold consultations with the U.S. government to present the information we have,” the Mexican official said.

He argued that “this tariff is not justified” because the United States has a trade surplus of US$6.8 billion with Mexico in these products, unlike the trade deficits the U.S. has with Australia, Canada, and China.

Ebrard will seek to present these arguments to Howard Lutnick, whom Trump has nominated to be the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and to Jamieson Greer, who has been proposed to be the U.S. Trade Representative, once the Senate confirms both appointments.

“In the reasoning outlined in the official publication, it is stated that the reason for imposing this tariff on Mexico is that Mexican exports to the United States increased by 1,678%,” a claim Ebrard refuted with a chart showing that Mexican exports are at 2015 levels, while U.S. exports are at their peak.

“According to President Trump’s own justifications, this is unfair because we import more from the United States than we export,” the Mexican minister said.

He also explained that the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum have a general application, meaning they are not solely imposed on Mexico. For this reason, the latest tariffs differ from those Trump imposed exclusively on Mexican steel and aluminum products during his first presidency (2017-2021).

Currently, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico are the main suppliers of steel and aluminum to the United States. Mexico is the primary destination for U.S. total steel product exports, accounting for 52% of its global exports as of the end of 2024.

Additionally, 82% of Mexico’s steel, aluminum, and related manufactured exports go to the United States. Ebrard also noted that between 80% and 90% of U.S. automotive industry trade is with Mexico and Canada, meaning the tariffs would impact the sector.

“As President Trump sometimes says, this is common sense. Well, we take him at his word. Common sense—not shooting ourselves in the foot. Let’s not destroy what we have built over the last 40 years,” the Mexican minister said.

teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE

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