Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum strongly suggested she will retaliate if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on her country.
In a sharply worded letter addressed to the president-elect, Sheinbaum encouraged Americans to spend more money on “fostering development” in lieu of war, blamed the U.S. for the number of guns in Mexico and gave her country credit for the drop in migrant encounters along the U.S.-Mexico border. She also warned that her government would have a “response in kind” if Trump moves forward with a threat to slap a 25% tariff on all Mexican goods. (RELATED: Texas Offers Trump Even More Land For Mass Deportation)
“President Trump, migration and drug consumption in the United States cannot be addressed through threats or tariffs,” Sheinbaum wrote Tuesday to the upcoming president, according to a translation of her letter. “What is needed is cooperation and mutual understanding to tackle these significant challenges.”
“For every tariff, there will be a response in kind, until we put at risk our shared enterprises,” she continued. “Yes, shared.”
Migrants and asylum seekers wait to be processed by the Border Patrol between fences at the US-Mexico border seen from Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on June 5, 2024. (Photo by Guillermo Arias / AFP)
Sheinbaum’s letter came in response to a Monday announcement from Trump, in which he posted on social media that on day one of his administration he would impose a 25% tariff on all Mexican and Canadian goods until their governments do more to limit the level of drugs and illegal migration flowing into the U.S.
In what appeared to be a more diplomatic approach to the tariff threat, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he reached out to Trump Monday night and that they had “a good call” about the issue and how their two countries are very much interlinked economically, according to Politico. Canadian officials also released a statement highlighting how border security is a top priority for their government.
In her letter to Trump, the Mexican president also noted the possible economic impact sweeping tariffs would impose on both their countries.
“For instance, among Mexico’s main exporters to the United States are General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford Motor Company, which arrived in Mexico 80 years ago,” Sheinbaum wrote. “Why impose a tariff that would jeopardize them? Such a measure would be unacceptable and would lead to inflation and job losses in both the United States and Mexico.”
Trump’s tariff threat is largely in line with his economic philosophy. The then-candidate described a tariff as “the most beautiful word in the dictionary” during an October interview, and his recent choice to serve as the next Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, has been a public advocate of tariffs.
The threat also toes the line with Trump’s hardline position on immigration enforcement. The president-elect has vowed to bring back the Remain in Mexico program, continue building the border wall and end birthright citizenship for those born to illegal migrant parents. He has also promised to conduct the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
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