Ebrard: Mexico ‘90% done’ with US tariff negotiations as Oct. 29 deadline nears

Mexico’s negotiations connected tariffs with the United States, up of a looming deadline and the 2026 reappraisal of the USMCA escaped commercialized pact, are astir 90% complete, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Tuesday.

Since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House successful January, the United States has imposed tariffs connected a scope of imports from Mexico, including steel, aluminum and airy vehicles.

Most US commercialized remains duty-free aft Mexico secures a 90-day hold connected Trump’s astir caller tariff threat

The United States’ fentanyl-related tariffs that use to each Mexican goods that don’t comply with the USMCA could summation to 30% from 25% adjacent week, arsenic a 90-day pause connected the implementation of the higher duties volition expire connected Oct. 29.

Ebrard was asked astir that fast-approaching deadline astatine a property league connected Tuesday aft a lengthy quality earlier national deputies.

“With respect to the 90 days, … I would accidental we person [made] precise important progress,” the system curate said, referring to commercialized negotiations with the United States.

Ebrard, who noted that helium was successful Washington, D.C., past Thursday and Friday, subsequently estimated that advancement of “around 90%” has been made connected the commercialized issues Mexico and the United States are discussing “prior to the review” of the USMCA, which besides includes Canada.

His remarks appeared to bespeak that helium was assured that Mexico volition scope a woody to stave disconnected the projected summation successful the tariff connected goods that don’t comply with the USMCA.

Asked astir the United States’ 50% tariffs connected alloy and aluminum, Ebrard acknowledged that a solution with the U.S. authorities hasn’t been reached.

“We person presented assorted proposals to the United States — they’re successful this 10% successful which I’m waiting for a response,” helium said, adding that helium hoped to get an reply “soon.”

Ebrard declined to item the proposals Mexico has presented to the United States with respect to the alloy and aluminum tariffs.

He antecedently said that it didn’t marque consciousness for the United States to enactment tariffs connected Mexican alloy and aluminum, arsenic the U.S. has a surplus with Mexico connected the commercialized of the metals.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said successful June that the tariffs were “unjust” and “unsustainable,” and asserted that they had “no ineligible basis.”

Despite the United States’ imposition of tariffs connected a assortment of Mexican products, the bulk of Mexico’s exports to the U.S. — 84% according to Ebrard — are not taxable to duties.

Ebrard: Mexico wants to resoluteness commercialized disagreements with US earlier the USMCA review 

Ebrard said that some Mexico and the United States person voiced grievances during bilateral commercialized negotiations.

“Mexico brought up galore things that interest it, the United States did arsenic well,” helium said.

“Our objective, the goal, is that erstwhile the [USMCA] reappraisal starts [those issues] are nary longer connected the table. … I’m optimistic,” Ebrard said.

In precocious September, United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer accused Mexico of failing to comply with the USMCA and noted that his bureau was successful talks with Mexican officials astir the alleged breaches.

“There are areas wherever they’re expected to beryllium complying with the USMCA, wherever they’re not. This could beryllium energy, telecommunications services, agricultural, each kinds of things,” Greer said without going into specifics.

During a speech connected tariffs with Fox News writer Maria Bartiromo successful September, USTR Jamieson Greer said, “It doesn’t marque a batch of consciousness to speech astir extending the USMCA oregon updating it erstwhile Mexico is not adjacent complying with important parts of it.” (@EconClubNY/X)

In precocious July, erstwhile the 90-day intermission connected the United States’ projected 30% tariff connected non-USMCA compliant goods was announced, Trump said that Mexico had “agreed to instantly terminate its Non Tariff Trade Barriers, of which determination were many.”

He besides said that the United States would “be talking to Mexico implicit the adjacent 90 Days with the extremity of signing a Trade Deal determination wrong the 90 Day play of time, oregon longer.”

It appears apt that immoderate benignant of bilateral statement that avoids the imposition of the projected 30% tariff volition beryllium reached sometime successful the adjacent 7 days.

The USMCA volition continue, says Ebrard 

Ebrard said that helium had told deputies that wrong the model of the UMSCA, “of course” determination are “different bilateral issues.”

“The 3 countries bash not ever sermon the aforesaid issues,” helium said.

Still, “all procedural and governmental signs” constituent to the UMSCA remaining a trilateral agreement, Ebrard said.

He said connected Sept. 30 that overmuch of the negotiations during the reappraisal of the USMCA volition beryllium bilateral alternatively than betwixt Mexico, the United States and Canada.

USMCA-related talks “always person precocious bilateral contented for earthy reasons,” Ebrard said.

On Tuesday, helium predicted that “some changes” volition beryllium made to the USMCA arsenic a effect of the 2026 review, but declared that helium didn’t expect them to beryllium “substantial.”

Sheinbaum has expressed assurance that the result of the reappraisal volition beryllium affirmative for Mexico, adjacent though Trump has indicated that helium wants to “renegotiate” the pact helium signed disconnected connected during his archetypal word arsenic president.

The U.S. president is unhappy that the U.S. runs commercialized deficits with some Mexico and Canada, and has accused some of not doing capable to stem the travel of narcotics crossed their borders.

What US tariffs presently use to imports from Mexico?

Trump has importantly undermined the USMCA this twelvemonth by imposing tariffs connected a scope of goods from Mexico and Canada. Still, Mexican officials, including Sheinbaum and Ebrard, often asseverate that Mexico is successful a amended presumption vis-à-vis commercialized with the U.S. compared to different countries astir the world.

These are the U.S. tariffs that are presently successful effect for imports from Mexico.

With reports from La Jornada, Reforma and El Financiero