Mexican President Sheinbaum: Mexico to announce "other measures" if no agreement with U.S. on new tariffs by August 1

Mexican President Sheinbaum: Mexico to announce "other measures" if no agreement with U.S. on new tariffs by August 1

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has warned of "other measures" if no agreement with the United States can be reached on new tariffs by August 1. This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened a 30% tariff on Mexican imports, citing Mexico's inadequate strategy to combat drug trafficking along the shared border [1].

In a statement, Sheinbaum expressed confidence that an agreement can be reached before the new surcharge takes effect. She emphasized that Mexico is willing to work with the U.S. to address issues related to fentanyl trafficking and border security. However, she also indicated that Mexico will take strong action if the tariffs are not suspended by the August 1 deadline [2].

Mexico's tomato export agreement, which dates back to 1996, is also at risk. The U.S. Commerce Department has canceled a 2019 trade agreement with Mexico, potentially leading to a 17% duty on fresh tomatoes imported to the U.S. from Mexico. Sheinbaum has stated that Mexico will support its tomato farmers and expand its market overseas to counter this tariff threat [3].

The Mexican government has expressed confidence that no other country can substitute Mexican tomatoes in the U.S. market. A coalition of Mexican agriculture associations has pledged to work with the government to develop solutions to the problem [3].

Meanwhile, the U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has criticized unfair trade practices that lower the prices of crops like tomatoes. Trump has also hinted at imposing a 10% tariff rate on smaller U.S. trade partners, further escalating trade tensions [4].

The Mexican government has not specified what "other measures" it will take if the U.S. tariffs are not suspended. However, the threat of strong action highlights the growing uncertainties in the Mexico-U.S. trade agreement amid Trump's tariff threats.

References:
[1] https://news.az/news/trump-announces-30-tariffs-on-eu-and-mexico-effective-august-1
[2] https://www.facebook.com/Reuters/videos/mexico-says-trumps-tomato-tariffs-should-be-squashed/1962171751218779/
[3] https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/mexican-president-confident-in-us-agreement-despite-30-tariff-threat-3704894
[4] https://www.cryptopolitan.com/mexico-warns-of-retaliation-if-us-talks-fail/