Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded Tuesday to US President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to impose a general tariff of 25% on imports from Mexico, warning the former president that “neither threats nor tariffs will solve the issue of migration or drug consumption.”
At her daily news conference, Sheinbaum started by reading out a letter to Trump, who had threatened tariffs if Mexico didn’t stop “criminals and drugs” from entering the US.
“President Trump, neither threats nor tariffs will solve the issue of migration or drug consumption in the United States,” Sheinbaum said. “Cooperation and shared understanding are required to face these important challenges.”
“Imposing one tariff would mean another comes in response, continuing like this until we put shared companies at risk,” she added.
“For example, some of the largest exporters from Mexico to the United States are General Motors, Stellantis and Ford Motor Company, which arrived in Mexico 80 years ago,” Sheinbaum said. “Why impose a tax that puts them at risk? It’s unacceptable and would cause inflation and job losses in Mexico and the United States.”
Sheinbaum added that the economic strength of North America lies in maintaining the business relationship between the two countries, which will allow them to be more competitive compared to other economic blocs.