(Mexico) Left-wing Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday she had an “excellent discussion” on security and migration with US President-elect Donald Trump, who threatened Mexico, Canada and China with a sharp increase customs tariffs.
Posted at 6:25 p.m.
“We discussed the Mexican strategy in the face of the phenomenon of migration,” said the Mexican president on X.
Mme Sheinbaum indicated to his interlocutor “that the caravans [de migrants] are not arriving at the northern border because they are being processed in Mexico.”
“We also talked about strengthening collaboration on security issues and the campaign we are carrying out in the country to prevent the consumption of fentanyl,” continued Mr.me Sheinbaum.
Fentanyl is a synthetic drug “approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin,” according to the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
According to Washington, fentanyl, often produced in Mexico with chemical compounds notably from China, causes more than 70,000 overdose deaths each year on American soil.
Republican President-elect Donald Trump confirmed on Monday his desire to “impose customs duties of 25% on ALL products entering the United States” on Mexico and Canada, starting January 20, the day of his inauguration.
“This tax will remain in effect until drugs, especially fentanyl, and all illegal immigrants stop this invasion of our country!” “, he added.
“President Trump, it is not through threats or customs tariffs that you are going to stop the phenomenon of immigration, nor the consumption of drugs in the United States,” replied Mr.me Sheinbaum in a letter to his future American counterpart.
The Mexican president had threatened to in turn increase Mexican customs tariffs on American products, deploring that this trade war would threaten competitiveness, inflation and employment in North America.
“I am sure that there will be an agreement with the United States and President Trump,” the president detailed in response to a question during her press conference, after reading her letter to the American president.
The United States would be “shooting itself in the foot” with the 25% increase in customs tariffs on Mexican exports, Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Wednesday.
“The impact on businesses would be enormous,” he added to the press, estimating that 400,000 jobs would be threatened in the United States.
Mexico, with more than 83% of its exports going to the United States, is a member of the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Canada (USMCA). Many American automobile companies are based in Mexico.
