LatinNews Daily - 17 February 2025

Mexico: On 14 February Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum announced she had sent a letter to US President Donald Trump regarding his decision, announced on 10 February, to slap 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Sheinbaum said the letter included a graph demonstrating the trade surplus that the US has with Mexico in terms of steel and aluminium. Sheinbaum said there would be a meeting between relevant officials from the two countries soon. This comes as, on 11 February, Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said that he had been instructed by Sheinbaum to seek talks with the Trump administration about the tariffs. Speaking at President Sheinbaum’s daily press conference, Ebrard highlighted that Mexico imports more steel and aluminium from the US than it exports to that country, claiming “that tariff is not justified”. This argument was echoed in a 11 February statement issued by Mexico’s national iron and steel chamber (Canacero) which urged the Mexican government to take “urgent measures” to protect national industry. Canacero warns that the tariffs threaten 75% of Mexican steel valued at U$2.1bn, putting at risk key jobs and investment in the country. Canacero says that if Mexican steel is not excluded from this measure, it would be necessary to apply “reciprocal reprisals regarding US steel products”.

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