In response to the announcement that 25% tariffs on vehicles entering the United States from several countries around the world, including Mexico and Canada, will come into effect on April 2, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will provide a comprehensive response by April 3 and is seeking a meeting with global automotive industry executives to define how her administration will act in this case.
“On April 3, we will be providing a comprehensive response to what Mexico will do in response to this situation, and that doesn’t mean we’re closing the door on working with the United States,” Sheinbaum said.
At her morning press conference Thursday, the president emphasized that the measure imposed by Trump includes an exception for Mexico and Canada, as it will only apply to non-U.S. parties .
He indicated that, as part of the negotiations his government is conducting, preferential treatment is being sought so that these tariffs do not affect the economy or jobs.
Sheinbaum pointed out that the 25% tax will impact the global automotive industry, although Mexico and Canada will have different conditions due to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) .
“Auto importers under the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement will be given the opportunity to certify their U.S. content, and systems will be implemented so that the 25% tariff only applies to the value of their non-U.S. content,” Sheinbaum explained.
Meanwhile, from Washington, United States, Marcelo Ebrard , head of the Ministry of Economy , indicated that six meetings have been held with the Secretary of Commerce of our northern neighbor, Howard Lutnick , and others with US authorities with the intention of seeking preferential treatment for Mexico, “so that we have the conditions to protect our jobs and the country’s economic activity.”
He noted that a complete response can be submitted starting April 2, “then, on that date, we’ll be able to provide more information and also tell them how we’re going to take advantage of the conditions provided for in the USMCA, such as the side letters for steel and aluminum and vehicle parts,” he said.
The federal official explained that vehicles manufactured in Mexico contain a high percentage of parts from the United States, which will allow them to access discounts .
“Those vehicles we’re exporting won’t have the 25% discount, but rather a discount, depending on the integration of the components I just explained,” he added.
He also detailed that another important point is the auto parts produced in Mexico , which he said will not be subject to the tariff as of April 2.
“We are at a meeting that was opened with the Secretary of Commerce to protect Mexican auto parts, which, as I said, represent 40% of all auto parts in the United States that are integrated into the entire U.S. production chain,” he said.
He explained that another issue that was also clarified in the meetings was that manufacturers in Mexico should not be charged multiple tariffs , “because as I once explained, a piston crosses the border seven times. Imagine if they were charged 25% seven times, then this has also been clearly established as not going to happen.”
He noted that these actions aim to ensure that products made in Mexico ultimately command the best price compared to any other country, such as Germany, Japan, South Korea, or other nations that also export to the United States. “That is the preference system the president has asked us to organize.”
As you may recall, Donald Trump announced on March 26th the imposition of 25% tariffs on vehicles entering the United States from several countries around the world, including Mexico and Canada, its main trading partners in North America, with the aim, according to him, of boosting the growth of the automotive sector in the United States. This measure will take effect on April 2nd .
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