Tariff dispute Mexico announces countermeasures against US tariffs
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced countermeasures in response to the new US import tariffs that came into force tonight. These would include tariffs and other measures, which she plans to announce on Sunday.
04.03.2025, 17:18
SDA
"We must remain calm and keep a cool head," said Sheinbaum at her morning press conference at the National Palace.
According to the US media, the tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump on goods from China, Mexico and Canada came into force shortly after midnight US time. This was reported by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and CNN, among others.
Specifically, punitive tariffs of 25 percent now apply to goods from Canada and Mexico that are imported into the USA. In addition, Trump announced that the import duties on goods from China imposed in February would be doubled to 20 percent from today. China and Canada have already responded with counter-tariffs.
Trump cites drug trafficking as the reason
US President Donald Trump justifies the punitive tariffs by claiming, among other things, that these countries are not doing enough to combat cross-border drug trafficking. Mexico recently extradited 29 criminals imprisoned for drug trafficking to the USA - including former cartel boss Rafael Caro Quintero, according to the US Department of Justice. In the 1980s, he was as powerful in Mexico as the notorious gangster Pablo Escobar was in Colombia.
Mexico is the USA's most important trading partner. No other country exports more to the United States. According to economists, Trump's tariff policy is likely to damage both economies through higher inflation and job losses. More than 80 percent of Mexico's total exports go to the USA. Thousands of companies and millions of jobs depend on it.
