Mexico president says 'dialogue prevailed' in US tariff dispute
3 Min Read
The Mexican president's announcement came at a rally originally meant to announce the retaliatory measures Mexico would take against the United States' 25% tariff on Mexican imports.
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President Claudia Sheinbaum waves to supporters at a rally she convened to welcome US President Donald Trump's decision to postpone tariffs on Mexican goods for one month at the Zocalo, Mexico City's main square, on Sunday, March 9, 2025 (AP)
Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum attributed Trump's temporary tariff relief on goods imported from Mexico to "dialogue" in a speech on Sunday.
Scheinbaum declared that she is optimistic regarding the future of trade between the United States and Mexico during a rally to celebrate Trump's decision to temporarily exempt goods from Mexico and Canada from a 25% tariff.
The Mexican president originally organized the event to announce the tariff and non-tariff trade countermeasures Mexico would implement had Trump followed through with his threat.
"We gather to congratulate ourselves because, in the relationship with the United States, with its government, dialogue and respect prevailed," she stated, adding, "We cannot yield on our sovereignty, nor can our people be affected by decisions made by foreign governments."
President Scheinabum emphasized that in case Mexico's sovereignty is violated, her country will act immediately, emphasizing that she is "convinced that the relationship must be good, respectful, and that dialogue will always prevail."
Trump temporarily halts tariffs on Mexico and Canada
US President Donald Trump ordered an exemption of certain imported products from Canada and Mexico until April 2, targeting goods covered by the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA) from the 25% effective on March 7.
Previously, Trump announced that he would implement a 25% tariff on all Mexican and Canadian goods, emphasizing that there was no way to avoid the tariffs, which were going to go into effect on March 4, after postponing the original implementation date of February 4.
The US president exempted automakers from new tariffs imposed on imports from Canada and Mexico after discussions with top executives from General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, reprieving all autos crossing between the US, Canada, and Mexico, as announced by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday.
Trump has argued that tariffs will bolster US industry by encouraging global companies to build factories domestically, while Ford CEO Jim Farley has warned that high tariffs on Canada and Mexico could severely harm the US auto sector.
In response to Trump's signing orders delaying his administration’s tariffs until April 2, Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced that Canada would also postpone its plan to impose 25% counter-tariffs on $87.4 billion worth of US products, including cars, steel, and aluminum. The counter-tariffs, initially set to take effect around March 25, will now be implemented on April 2.
