President Sheinbaum Rules Out Early U.S.-Mexico-Canada Treaty Review
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. X/ @MaerQuintero
January 24, 2025 Hour: 8:27 am
Donald Trump wants to renegotiate the USMCA by leveraging tariff increases on Mexico and Canada.
On Thursday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that there is no need to expedite a review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which was proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. She emphasized that according to U.S. decrees, a review of the agreement could begin in 2026, not sooner.
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“What typically begins is a consultation process involving business leaders, workers and various societal sectors to assess the agreement’s implementation. Again, the best approach is to adhere to what is written in the decrees,” she said.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump wants to renegotiate the USMCA by leveraging tariff increases on Mexico and Canada. The primary goal appears to be revising automotive regulations to compel car manufacturing plants to relocate to the United States.
In response to Mexican business leaders’ calls to prepare for potential tariffs, Sheinbaum said “there is nothing concrete” so far, stressing the importance of awaiting the outcome of the “dialogue already established with the U.S. government.”
Meanwhile, Mexican Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard had a conversation with Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng, in which they discussed Trump’s tariff threats and the strengthening of the USMCA.
On his first day in office, Trump stated that, as of February 1, the United States could impose 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian products due to the flow of drugs and migrants, particularly fentanyl.
In addition to the criticisms of the new American president, there are those of several Canadian politicians who have indicated that they are willing to withdraw Mexico from the T-MEC in the face of tariff threats from Washington and imports from China in the Latin American country.
The tariffs are of particular concern to Mexico, the United States’ largest trading partner and where 83% of exports go to that country, an amount that rose to US$490 billion in 2023, almost 30% of Mexico’s gross domestic product (GDP).
teleSUR/ JF Sources: EFE – Xinhua
