U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a 90-day negotiation period with Mexico following a phone call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, while affirming that the 25% tariffs on Mexican goods will remain in effect during the process.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the conversation with Sheinbaum as “very successful, in the sense that we are getting to know and understand each other more and more.”
He confirmed that Mexican imports to the United States will continue facing a 25% tariff, a measure he linked to efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking. The automotive industry in particular will be subject to the 25% rate, while copper, aluminum, and steel will be taxed at a 50% rate, according to reporting by RFE/RL.
Trump also claimed that Mexico has agreed to eliminate “non-tariff trade barriers,” though he provided no further specifics.
Some goods remain exempt from these tariffs under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which was negotiated by Trump during his first term in office and came into effect in 2020. Despite this, the former president has expressed dissatisfaction with the agreement, which is expected to be renegotiated next year.
One of Trump’s first major actions upon beginning his second presidential term was the imposition of tariffs on goods from both Mexico and Canada, earlier this year.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the United States recorded a $171.5 billion trade deficit with Mexico last year—meaning the U.S. imported significantly more goods from Mexico than it exported.
