Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has received a list of U.S. products that his country would slap with tariffs if President Trump follows through with his threat to impose tariffs on Mexican goods starting Monday.
The list indicates that Mexico could retaliate swiftly if the tariffs are implemented, as Trump said Wednesday was likely.
The list was delivered Wednesday and López Obrador has yet to make any recommendations on it, Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources. The list targets items produced in Rust Belt states in the U.S., such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, all states that are expected to be crucial to Trump’s bid to be reelected next year. The targeted items will include steel and agricultural products, but exclude corn.
Trump has threatened to impose tariffs starting at 5% on all goods from Mexico if it doesn’t crack down on immigration drug smuggling to the U.S. Trump has said the tariffs will rise another 5% each month the situation remains unresolved, hitting a maximum of 25%.
U.S. and Mexican officials met Wednesday in Washington, D.C. in an attempt to resolve the situation. Trump told reporters Wednesday during a trip to Ireland that Mexico “wants to make a deal,” but they had to address the border situation first. “Otherwise we will not be able to do business.”
“We’ll see what happens,” he said.
Trump’s position drew bipartisan criticism, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who is vying for the Democratic presidential nomination, telling reporters during a campaign stop in Indiana, “Trump’s random dart throwing ain’t helping anybody.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday that Trump “needs a way out of his bluster.” On Tuesday, a group of Senate Republicans told White House officials they would back a resolution opposing the tariffs.
Mexico imposed 10-20% in tariffs on $3 billion of U.S. goods last year, but rescinded them after the U.S. lifted in April steel and aluminum tariffs it had imposed last year.
