Mexico to impose retaliatory tariffs on US after Canada, China

She accused Washington of publishing "an offensive, defamatory and unsupported statement," after the White House alleged in its tariff announcement that the Mexican government had "afforded safe havens for the [drug] cartels."

The targeted products and other measures will be announced on March 9. The Mexican President said the government is ‘going to wait’ as she plans to speak to Trump this week.

Reiterating that there was ‘no reason or justification’ for Trump to hit Mexico with 25-per cent tariffs despite its collaboration in efforts to tackle drug smuggling, she said: "I want to make it clear today that we will always seek a negotiated solution as we have proposed within the framework of respect for our sovereignty."

"But the unilateral decision taken by the United States affects national and foreign companies that operate in our country and affects our people. Therefore, we have decided to respond with tariff and non-tariff measures," she was quoted as saying by global media reports.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)