United States President Donald Trump said Monday that his planned 25% tariffs on all Mexican and Canadian exports to the U.S. “are going ahead on time, on schedule,” meaning the duties would take effect on March 4 at the conclusion of a one-month suspension.
“This is an abuse that took place for many, many years,” Trump said in justification of the decision to impose tariffs on the United States’ neighbors and North American trade partners.
“We’re on time with the tariffs,” President Donald Trump says when asked during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron about the tariffs planned to take effect on Canada and Mexico next month https://t.co/bMyOnTKtDn pic.twitter.com/1PqCjNZAH1
— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) February 24, 2025
“And I’m not even blaming the other countries that did this, I blame our leadership for allowing it to happen. I mean who can blame them if they made these great deals with the United States, took advantage of the United States on manufacturing, on just about everything,” he said at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Earlier on Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed confidence that Mexico would in fact reach an agreement with the United States to stave off Trump’s proposed tariffs for a second time.
At her morning press conference, Sheinbaum also spoke about the possibility of Mexico imposing additional tariffs on imports from countries with which it doesn’t have free trade agreements, most notably China.
‘If necessary,’ Sheinbaum will seek call with Trump
Trump has said he plans to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for three reasons:
- Undocumented migrants have “poured into” the U.S. from Mexico and Canada.
- Large quantities of drugs, including fentanyl, have entered the U.S. from its southern and northern neighbors.
- The United States has large trade deficits with Mexico and Canada.
On Monday, Sheinbaum reiterated Mexico’s commitment to “helping the United States” solve the “humanitarian crisis” caused by illicit fentanyl in the U.S.
On actions to combat drug trafficking and other problems Mexico will need to reach “important agreements” with the United States this Friday, she said, noting that the tariffs are scheduled to take effect early next week.
“If it is necessary I will be seeking another telephone call with President Trump — whatever is needed to reach an agreement,” Sheinbaum said.
She noted that Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard traveled to Washington for tariff talks last week, and declared there is communication between Mexico and the United States “on all issues.”
“What we need is to close this agreement” to ward off the tariffs,” said Sheinbaum, who earlier this month achieved a one-month pause on the proposed duties after agreeing to deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to Mexico’s northern border.
“… I believe we’re in a position to do so,” she said.
Ebrard has said that the United States would be shooting itself in the foot if it imposes a 25% tariff on Mexican exports, asserting that 400,000 jobs would be lost in the U.S. and prices would rise for U.S. consumers.
He said earlier this month that 25% tariffs the United States intends to impose on all steel and aluminum imports are illogical and a “bad idea” with regard to Mexico, given that the U.S. has a trade surplus with Mexico on the trade of those metals. The steel and aluminum tariffs are scheduled to take effect on March 12.
USMCA the priority, says Sheinbaum, and therefore additional tariffs on China are an option
Sheinbaum noted that an Economy Ministry team is still in Washington as Mexico seeks to reach a new deal to stop Trump’s proposed tariffs taking effect next week.
“What we’ve established — I’ve said it from the beginning — is that the relationship and trade agreement with the United States has to be prioritized,” she said.
“And we ask the United States to prioritize its trade agreement with Mexico and Canada,” Sheinbaum said.
She said that imposing tariffs on imports from countries with which Mexico doesn’t have free trade agreements, such as China, is an option.
“[Former] president López Obrador even did it, he put tariffs on countries with which we don’t have trade agreements,” said Sheinbaum, whose administration recently imposed tariffs on Chinese clothing and textiles.
“… With China, for example, we don’t have a trade agreement. … So it’s part of what this [Economy Ministry] group is working on,” she said, alluding to additional tariffs on Chinese exports to Mexico.
Bloomberg, citing “people familiar with the matter,” reported on Saturday that “the Trump administration told Mexican officials” including Minister Ebrard “that they should put their own duties on Chinese imports as part of their efforts to avoid tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump.”
However, Sheinbaum said that the implementation of tariffs on Chinese exports to Mexico wasn’t a “condition” that had been set by the United States.
“The issue is to reach an agreement that allows us … to guarantee that there are no tariffs between our countries [and] that the trade agreement continues,” she said.
“… [We have to] give priority to this trade agreement and see how the three [USMCA] countries can strengthen ourselves compared to other regions of the world,” Sheinbaum said.
“… In that sense, we’re not suggesting [tariffs] in particular on China, but rather on those countries with which we don’t have trade agreements,” she said.
“It’s something that I even put forward in the conversation I had with the president of China at the G20 [Summit in Brazil]. Of course with China there is a cultural relationship, … and [a relationship spanning] many other issues. On the issue of trade I told [President Xi Jinping] that we have the trade agreement with the United States and that is one of our priorities,” Sheinbaum said.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
