Mexican President orders retaliatory tariffs against U.S.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum. File.
| Photo Credit: AP

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Saturday (February 1, 2025) she ordered her Economy Minister to implement tariff and non-tariff measures to defend her country’s interests, after the U.S. slapped across-the-board duties on goods coming from Mexico.

In a lengthy post on X, Ms. Sheinbaum stressed her government does not seek confrontation with its northern neighbor but collaboration and dialogue.

The leftist leader, who has repeatedly sought to calm tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump, touted her government’s record since she took office in October, seizing 20 million doses of deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl, in addition to detaining over 10,0000 individuals tied to drug trafficking.

Trump said the tariffs against Mexico were due to the country’s failure to stop fentanyl getting into the United States as well as what he describes as uncontrolled migration.