Mexican prez orders retaliatory tariffs to US decision

Mexico sought dialogue rather than confrontation with its top trade partner to the north, but it had been forced to respond in kind, Sheinbaum said in a post on X.

"I've instructed my economy minister to implement the plan B we've been working on, which includes tariff and non-tariff measures in defense of Mexico's interests," she wrote.

The United States is Mexico's topmost foreign market, and the latter overtook China in 2023 as the top destination for US exports.

Economy minister Marcelo Ebrard said on X that Trump's tariffs were a ‘flagrant violation’ of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Sheinbaum also rejected as ‘slander’ the White House's allegation that drug cartels have an alliance with the Mexican government.

President Donald J Trump recently announced the imposition of additional tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China, citing a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Trump said the tariffs against Mexico were due to the country's failure to stop fentanyl, a deadly opioid, from getting into the United States, as well as what he termed uncontrolled migration.

Sheinbaum vaunted her government's efforts since she took office in October last year, saying Mexico had seized 20 million doses of fentanyl and detained over 10,000 people tied to drug trafficking.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)