Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump for temporarily suspending tariffs on most Mexican goods, following their recent imposition.  

 

"We had an excellent and respectful call in which we agreed that our work and collaboration has given unprecedented results," Sheinbaum stated in a post on X, written in Spanish. She reaffirmed that Mexico would continue working with the US on key issues such as migration and security, specifically mentioning efforts to curb the illegal flow of fentanyl into the US while also addressing the smuggling of weapons into Mexico. She confirmed that the suspension would remain in effect until April 2.  

 

The pause on tariffs applies to goods covered by the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade deal that replaced NAFTA in 2020 during Trump's first term in office. Trump had pushed for changes to NAFTA, with the new agreement granting the US greater access to Canada’s dairy market and allowing for increased imports of Canadian automobiles. The decision to suspend some tariffs on Mexican goods comes a day after Trump announced a temporary exemption for North American car manufacturers that comply with USMCA regulations.  

 

Despite this concession, Trump remained critical of Canada, accusing the country of failing to prevent drug trafficking into the US. Reports indicate that the relief on tariffs contributed to a rise in US stocks, which had suffered two days of losses that erased gains made since the November presidential election.  

 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described a recent phone call with Trump regarding tariffs as “colorful.” According to CBC News, citing a senior Canadian government source, the conversation turned heated, with Trump reportedly using profane language multiple times while discussing dairy trade. Trudeau characterized the nearly hour-long call as “substantive” and said discussions were ongoing. Meanwhile, the US treasury secretary took a pointed jab at Trudeau, advising foreign leaders to remain composed in negotiations with Trump. "If you want to be a numbskull like Justin Trudeau and say, ‘Oh, we’re going to do this,’ then tariffs are probably going to go up," he said.  

 

Sheinbaum also highlighted Mexico’s efforts to combat fentanyl smuggling, stating that she had presented Trump with data showing a significant decrease in the drug’s movement across the border. "In February, the reduction in fentanyl seizures on the US side of the border with Mexico was reduced by 41.5%," she said during a news conference. She credited the deployment of 10,000 border guards and enhanced customs inspections as measures that were "giving results." However, she also questioned the impact of the tariffs, asking Trump, "Now that you put in the tariffs—how are we going to continue cooperating and collaborating with something that hurts the people of Mexico?"  

 

Canada has been granted the same temporary tariff suspension as Mexico, covering goods under the USMCA agreement until April 2. However, because a smaller percentage of Canadian exports fall under the agreement compared to Mexico, some goods from both countries remain subject to tariffs.  

 

White House officials explained that Trump’s decision to pause tariffs was influenced by commitments from automakers to shift supply chains back to the US. Additionally, they cited the efforts of both Mexico and Canada to combat fentanyl trafficking as another factor in his decision. Trump signed two executive orders in the Oval Office titled: “Amendments to Duties to Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border” and “Amendments to Duties to Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Southern Border.”  

 

Despite these temporary concessions, Trump warned that further trade measures could be coming, stating that April 2 would be a pivotal moment when other countries might face reciprocal tariffs. He singled out Canada, labeling it a “high-tariff nation” and claiming that the US does not rely on its exports. "We don’t need trees from Canada, we don’t need cars from Canada, we don’t need energy from Canada, we don’t need anything from Canada," he declared. When pressed about whether similar exemptions might be granted to car manufacturers next month, Trump responded, "We’re not looking at that."

 

Based on a report by BBC  2025-03-07

 

 

To Trump, it's all a negotiation tactic and game.......

10 minutes ago, flyingtlger said:

To Trump, it's all a negotiation tactic and game.......

And he is not very good at it.  Like every thing he touches he will stuff it up as per usual. Would not leave the idiot in charge of a hamburger stand.

31 minutes ago, flyingtlger said:

To Trump, it's all a negotiation tactic and game.......

I’m feeling a change with his betrayal of our allies now his stupid trade war all of us world wide are collectively getting tired of this nut case pulling our collective chains,something gonna give.

He's folding again.

24 minutes ago, John Drake said:

He's folding again.

Yup