MEXICO CITY — The presidents of Mexico and the United States said Thursday that punishing new tariffs on Mexican goods exported across the border would be put off for 90 days as the two nations continue negotiations on the contentious levies.
The long-awaited announcement came after Presidents Trump and Claudia Sheinbaum had a morning telephone conversation, the latest in a series of phone calls in which the Mexican leader has urged her U.S. counterpart not to impose more tariffs on her nation — the United States’ largest trading partner.
Trump called the phone conversation “very successful” in a post on Truth Social, adding: “More and more, we are getting to know and understand each other.” The two North American leaders have yet to meet in person.
Posting on X, Sheinbaum said she had “a very good call” with Trump and that the two nations agreed to keep talking for 90 days “to construct a long-term agreement in line with dialogue.”
In his comments, Trump said that many Mexican imports would continue to face a 25% tariff that the president has said is needed to force Mexico to cut down on smuggling of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid linked to tens of thousands of deaths in the United States.
Mexico is fighting to reverse proposed 25% tariffs on auto imports and 50% tariffs on imports of copper, steel and aluminum, among other levies. Trump said those tariffs — along with the 25% fentanyl tax — would remain in place during the 90-day negotiating period.
However, many Mexican goods continue to be exported tariff-free under the terms of the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which Trump signed during his initial term.
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