Sheinbaum and Trump agree to postpone for 90 days the entry into force of US tariffs to Mexico

- Author, Writing
- Author's title, BBC News World
3 hours

The United States and Mexico will extend for 90 days the current commercial agreement between the two, which avoids an increase in tariffs planned for this Friday, August 1.

The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, confirmed postponement.

“We avoid the tariff increase announced for tomorrow and achieve 90 days to build a long -term agreement based on dialogue,” he announced in a message on social network X.

The decision was agreed during a phone call made this Thursday between Sheinbaum and the US president Donald Trump.

The president said it had been a “very good call” and celebrated the agreement.

Trump was the first to announce the agreement in a message on his social truth network.

“Mexico will continue to pay the 25% fentanyl tariff, a 25% tariff on cars and a 50% tariff on steel, aluminum and copper,” he wrote.

Mexican steel truck — Photo foot, Mexico is one of the main steel suppliers in the United States.

The “Fentanyl Tariff”

The “Fentanyl Tariff” is a 25 % rate applied to certain products from Mexico, designed as an economic measure to press in the fight against fentanyl traffic – a dangerous drug that causes ravages in the US.- and as part of broader commercial negotiations.

This surcharge affects products that are not covered by the T-MEC treaty. There is also a tariff for steel and aluminum.

However, the trade agreement signed by Trump in its previous term protects much of Mexican exports.

Trump also assured that Mexico agreed to immediately eliminate its non -tariff commercial barriers.

The American president said that cooperation will continue on the border in all aspects related to security, including drug fight, its distribution and illegal immigration to the United States.

In addition, he highlighted the good communication with President Sheinbaum, with whom she held a telephone conversation this Thursday morning.

“We get to know each other and understand more,” he said.

Mexico is one of the three main shopping partners in the United States, together with Canada and China.

After six months of negotiations, Trump has announced several pauses and exemptions in his plans to impose new and highest tariffs.

Initially, the White House used fentanyl smuggling through US borders as the main justification for increasing border taxes to Mexico and China.

Claudia Sheinbaum — Photo foot, Sheinbaum said he had a “very good call with Trump.”

Everything remains the same, including risk fronts

Analysis of Daniel Pardo, BBC World correspondent in Mexico

Sheinbaum complete 24 hours positive after a week in which the scandals within their party, Morena, dominated the national agenda.

In addition to having prolonged the agreement with Trump, the president was satisfied at Thursday's conference in account that Wednesday it was learned that economic growth increased more than expected in the first half of the year, that poverty and inequality fell slightly and that the tax collection increased.

In addition, Enkoll published a new survey in which Sheinbaum maintains an 80% approval.

“Arriving (to the negotiation with Trump) with 80% approval is a very important force, it is not a force of the president, it is from the people of Mexico,” he said.

But none of this suppresses the open fronts for the Mexican government: the accusations of heavyweights of the collusion ruling with organized crime, the critical security situation in some regions of the country, the serious state of the state oil company, Pemex, and Trump's pressure in the fight against the posters.

Sheinbaum confirmed that part of what will be negotiated in these 90 days is the crucial commercial treaty between countries, the TMEC, which hopes to renew itself in 2026. And that, with Trump's protectionism, is another risk front.