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Mexico's Sheinbaum open to Trump call to defend T-MEC
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Economy & Trade

Mexico's Sheinbaum open to Trump call to defend T-MEC

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum affirmed her willingness to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump if necessary to defend the T-MEC trade agreement.
  • She emphasized that Mexico's priority is to maintain the regional pact, which she believes benefits all three North American countries.
  • Mexico aims to reduce U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum, and vehicles, and seeks to strengthen regional rules of origin within the T-MEC framework.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has stated her readiness to engage directly with U.S. President Donald Trump if required, in order to safeguard the benefits of the T-MEC (Mexico-United States-Canada Agreement) trade deal. She reiterated that preserving the regional agreement, which she believes has been advantageous for all three signatory nations, is her government's primary objective during ongoing negotiations in Washington.

If it is necessary, yes (she will speak with Trump). If it is necessary, yes, of course.

— Claudia SheinbaumResponding to a question about potentially speaking with President Trump.

"If it is necessary, yes (she will speak with Trump). If it is necessary, yes, of course," Sheinbaum responded when questioned about the possibility of a call or meeting with Trump to discuss the trade pact's future. She highlighted that a key U.S. objective in the current talks is to bolster rules of origin, ensuring a greater portion of manufacturing, particularly in the automotive sector, is produced within North America. Mexico, however, advocates for a broader regional vision for the treaty.

Well, first, the maintenance of the treaty, which I think all three countries agree on because it has benefited all three countries.

— Claudia SheinbaumStating Mexico's primary goal in the T-MEC negotiations.

Mexico's Economy Secretary, Marcelo Ebrard, is leading the negotiations in Washington this week, accompanied by government officials and advisors. Sheinbaum indicated that the coming days will be crucial in determining the direction of these discussions. She clarified that the T-MEC is not being renegotiated but is undergoing a review process stipulated within the agreement itself, which was signed during Trump's first term and ratified by the respective national congresses.

The United States is interested in having more rules of origin, what does that mean? That more products, that is to say, that the entire related value chain, for example, for a vehicle, is produced more in the region, that they do not come from other regions.

— Claudia SheinbaumExplaining the U.S. focus on regional production under T-MEC.

Furthermore, Sheinbaum's administration is actively working to reduce U.S. tariffs imposed under Section 232 of U.S. legislation on steel, aluminum, and vehicles. The current T-MEC replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in July 2020, following renegotiations initiated by Trump. The agreement mandates a joint review six years after its implementation, with the current discussions focusing on these review aspects rather than a complete overhaul.

Obviously, we say that it should not only be the United States, but that it should be the region, precisely for that reason it is a free trade agreement.

— Claudia SheinbaumAdvocating for a regional perspective in the trade agreement.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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