“We don’t agree. We don’t believe it’s fair or sustainable because it makes everything more expensive. We hope to reach an agreement. If we don’t reach an agreement, we will also announce some measures we must take, essentially to strengthen and protect jobs. This isn’t a matter of revenge, it’s a matter of protecting our jobs and our businesses,” he stressed.

At her morning press conference this Wednesday, Sheinbaum reiterated that the measures her government would implement would not be “an eye for an eye,” but rather to protect the Mexican steel industry.

The Mexican president announced that she will hold a meeting with members of the steel and aluminum chambers this Wednesday, and that Marcelo Ebrard , head of the Ministry of Economy (SE) , will also meet with U.S. trade officials.

Sheinbaum called the tariff increase on these products unfair, since “Mexico imports more steel and aluminum than it exports. Formally, tariffs are imposed when there is a deficit; in our case, we import more steel.”

He asserted that the measure also has no legal basis “because there is a trade agreement,” and added that it is unsustainable “because just as in the construction of a car there are many auto parts that pass from one side of the border to the other, in the case of steel the same.”

On June 3, Donald Trump , President of the United States, signed the executive order to increase tariffs on steel and aluminum imported into the United States, which went from 25% to 50 percent .

The new tax will apply to goods imported for consumption determined by the date of crossing, or goods imported into free trade zones starting June 4.

In response, the  National Chamber of the Iron and Steel Industry (Canacero) rejected the U.S. government’s decision and emphasized that the United States maintains a bilateral steel trade surplus with Mexico of  four billion dollars (mdd) in finished products, which will increase in 2025 due to the decline in Mexican exports.

Comment and follow us on X:  @GrupoT21

El cargo Sheinbaum seeks agreement with the US over increased tariffs on steel and aluminum apareció primero en T21.

In a statement, the organization considered the measure unjustified , since ” the 25% and now 50% tariffs primarily affect its trading partners and the value chain in the region.”

This, he noted, is because China and other Asian countries are increasing subsidies and depreciating their currencies to avoid these taxes.

Canacero emphasized that Mexican steel does not pose a threat to the U.S. market; “on the contrary, we are complementary, and our country is completely open to U.S. exports.”

The organization emphasized that the United States maintains a bilateral steel trade surplus with Mexico of four billion dollars (million dollars) in finished products, which will increase in 2025 due to the decline in Mexican exports, which decreased by 50 percent in April and May alone.

“The best solution to combat global steel overcapacity and unfair trade practices is to work together as a region,” he said, adding that they trust in the negotiations being conducted by the Ministry of Economy (SE) “and in the urgent measures that will be established as a result.”

It’s worth noting that the Mexican steel industry is the 15th largest producer of steel globally, contributing 1.4% to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 6.9% to manufacturing GDP, while operating below the global average in terms of emissions.

Tariff adjustment, an “unsustainable” measure: Ebrard

On this issue, Marcelo Ebrard , head of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, described the 50% tariff increase on steel and aluminum as “unsustainable, unfair, and ineffective.” He indicated that he will hold a meeting with his U.S. counterparts next Friday, where he will present his arguments for excluding Mexico from this measure.

“We will express my opinion on Friday. I find it difficult to sustain this. So it is unfair, unsustainable, and we will present our arguments on Friday for Mexico to be excluded from these measures, just as the United Kingdom was,” the federal official emphasized.

He pointed out that the decision by Donald Trump , President of the United States, goes against the industries of both countries, since steel is mainly used in the automotive, construction, metalworking, and electronics industries , so these sectors will be affected.

Ebrard emphasized that he believes the 50% tariff will be difficult to sustain, and said it will have to be adjusted, as the economic impact is significant. He also maintained that “there is a plan for any scenario.”

He added that the new measure is unfair to Mexico. “It makes no sense to impose a tariff on a product you have a surplus in. Normally, it’s imposed when you have a deficit, not a surplus.”

Last February, Ebrard stated that the United States’ surplus with Mexico in the steel and aluminum trade would reach $6.897 billion in 2024, while the balance with other countries was negative.

On June 3, Trump signed an executive order to increase tariffs on steel and aluminum imported into the United States, increasing them from 25 percent to 50 percent.

The new tax will apply to goods imported for consumption determined by the date of crossing, or goods imported into free trade zones starting June 4.

Comment and follow us on X: @GrupoT21

El cargo Canacero rejects tariff increases on mexican steel; warns it is an “unjustified” measure apareció primero en T21.

In order to strengthen the American steel and aluminum industry, Donald Trump , president of our northern neighbor, announced that tariffs applied to all imports of these materials into the United States will increase from 25% to 50% , which would come into effect on June 4 .

It’s worth remembering that on March 12, Trump implemented the 25% tax on steel and aluminum, a warning he had signed through executive orders on February 10, “without exceptions or exemptions,” as the U.S. president put it that day.

In this regard, the 25% tax is already levied on Mexico and Canada, countries that, along with the United States, form part of the Agreement between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC) .

However, so far, Trump, who announced the new measure during a visit to a US Steel plant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he also celebrated the alliance between the American company and the Japanese firm Nippon Steel , did not clarify whether the increase will apply to Mexico and Canada.

“We’re going to raise tariffs on steel in the United States from 25% to 50%, which will further secure the industry in the country,” he said, confirming this in a post he made on the Truth Social network on May 30.

On June 1, Trump posted another message on the same social media platform, which he accompanied with a video and which referenced the topic. “We’re going to put Pennsylvania steel in the backbone of America,” he emphasized in the text.

The US president explained that he had considered setting the tariff at 40%, but industry representatives asked him to raise it to 50% to have a greater impact on the defense of this sector.

Such a measure would increase pressure on global steel producers and could escalate the trade war sparked by the imposition of reciprocal tariffs, which is currently on hold.

According to Adrian Gonzalez , president of  Global Alliance Solutions LLC , to date, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has not issued operational guidance, nor has an executive order been published formally confirming the measure announced by Trump.

“It is also unclear whether the increase will apply to all tariff items included in Section 232, including steel, aluminum, and their derivatives,” González emphasized in a statement.

The National Chamber of the Iron and Steel Industry (Canacero) has repeatedly stated that steel exports from Mexico do not represent a threat to the United States, and explained that while Mexico accounted for 16.1%  of the market in Mexico in 2024, the country only represented  2.2%  of the market in the United States.

Mexico has sought to reach an agreement on steel and aluminum tariffs through dialogue and negotiation, and a team led by Marcelo Ebrard , head of Mexico’s Ministry of Economy (SE) , has held meetings with its U.S. counterparts.

Just last May 27, Ebrard confirmed that there had been progress on the 25% tariffs on these materials.

“I’d say we’ve had eight meetings on steel and aluminum. I’d almost say I’m an expert on the subject, but I’m optimistic. I can’t give you details because I can’t, but we are making progress,” Ebrard said at the National Meeting of  BBVA Regional Board Members .

Donald Trump’s announcement comes after the  U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT)  issued a potential setback to the U.S. president’s reciprocal tariffs and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington issued a provisional stay to review the case.

Comment and follow us on X: @Eliseosfield / @GrupoT21

El cargo Trump eyes increased tariffs on steel and aluminum apareció primero en T21.