Mexican Economic Minister Ildefonso Guajardo urged President Trump Monday to back down on his threat to include Mexico in his recently announced steel and aluminum tariffs if the country didn’t agree to U.S. demands for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement.
President Trump tweeted Monday morning that a “new & fair NAFTA agreement” was the only way the tariffs would be lifted.
Guajardo, who has been the lead negotiator for his country in the ongoing talks, tweeted in response: “Mexico shouldn’t be included in steel & aluminum tariffs. It’s the wrong way to incentivize the creation of a new & modern #NAFTA.” He did not include an ultimatum in his response.
México shouldn’t be included in steel & aluminum tariffs. It’s the wrong way to incentivize the creation of a new & modern #NAFTA
— Ildefonso Guajardo (@ildefonsogv) March 5, 2018
Trump announced tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum imports on Thursday. On Monday he confirmed the widely held presumption that they were announced to pressure Canada and Mexico. The latest round of talks to renegotiate the 1993 trade deal is set to conclude Monday in Mexico City.
“We have large trade deficits with Mexico and Canada. NAFTA, which is under renegotiation right now, has been a bad deal for U.S.A. Massive relocation of companies & jobs. Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum will only come off if new & fair NAFTA agreement is signed. Also, Canada must…treat our farmers much better. Highly restrictive. Mexico must do much more on stopping drugs from pouring into the U.S. They have not done what needs to be done. Millions of people addicted and dying,” Trump said in a pair of tweets.
“To protect our Country we must protect American Steel! #AMERICA FIRST.”
Trump, a longtime critic of NAFTA, has threatened to pull the U.S. out of the trade deal if the renegotiations come up short. The talks have been rocky and by most accounts Canada and Mexico are resisting most of the U.S. demands.
