Mexican president is convinced that tariff war with the United States can be avoided

Mexican president is convinced that tariff war with the United States can be avoided

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday she is confident a tariff war with the United States can be avoided.

But his statement – ​​the day after his phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump – did not specify who proposed what.

“There will be no potential tariff war,” Sheinbaum said flatly when asked about the issue during his daily morning press briefing.

On Wednesday, Trump wrote that Sheinbaum had agreed to end unauthorized migration across the border into the United States. She wrote the same day on her social networks that “migrants and caravans are taken care of before they reach the border”.

But it remains unclear whether this constitutes a promise, a commitment or a simple declaration of reality. In recent years, migrants who have been unable to obtain permission to cross into Mexico have banded together in caravans to walk or hitchhike north toward the U.S. border, seeking safety in numbers.

In fact, with the exception of the first caravans in 2018 and 2019 – which had buses to travel part of the way north – no caravan has ever reached the border on foot or by hitchhiking consistently.

For years, migrant caravans have often been blocked, harassed or prevented from hitchhiking by police and Mexican migration agents. They were also frequently rounded up or returned to areas near the Guatemalan border. So, Sheinbaum’s statement seems to reflect a reality that has been true for some time.

US President Joe Biden said on Thursday he hoped Trump would rethink his plan to impose tariffs on Mexico and Canada, saying it could “spoil” relations with close allies.

“I hope he thinks about it again. I think it’s a counterproductive thing to do,” he told reporters in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Trump previously threatened to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada until those countries satisfactorily put an end to illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl to the United States. He also said Chinese imports would be subject to additional 10% tariffs until Beijing takes action against the production of materials used in making fentanyl.

Despite Sheinbaum’s confidence — she called the phone conversation with Trump “excellent” — many Mexicans fear that U.S. tariffs could affect a wide range of iconic Mexican products and threaten entire regional economies.