Sheinbaum: I am convinced North America’s economic strength lies in maintaining our trade partnership

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo has warned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump of dire economic consequences for both countries if he imposes tariffs on goods and services imported from her country. 

Trump has said he will impose tariffs of 25 percent on trade from Mexico and Canada on the day he is inaugurated. He said the tariffs are in response to undocumented immigration and drugs coming into the United States. 

Sheinbaum sent this letter to Trump:

Mexico City, November 26 2024

Dear President Elect Donald Trump,

I’m writing to you regarding your statement on Monday. November 25 concerning migration, fentanyl trafficking and tariffs.

You may not be aware that Mexico has developed a comprehensive policy to assist migrants from different parts of the world who cross our territory en route to the southern border of the United States. As a result, and according to data from your country’s Custom and Border Protection (CBP), encounters at the Mexico-United States border have decreased by 75 percent between December 2023 and November 2024.

Moreover, half of those who arrive do so through a legally scheduled appointment under the United States’ CBP one program. For these reasons, migrant caravans no longer arrive at the border.

Even so, it is clear that we must work together to create a new labor mobility model that is necessary for your country, as well as address the root causes that compel families to leave their homes out of necessity. If even a small percentage of what the United States allocates to war were instead dedicated to building peace and fostering development, it would address the underlying causes of human mobility. 

On another note, and for humanitarian reasons, Mexico has consistently expressed its willingness to help prevent the fentanyl epidemic in the United States from continuing. This, after all, is a public health and consumption problem within your society. So far this year, Mexican armed forces and prosecutors have seized tons of various types of drugs, 10,340 firearms, and have detained 15,640 individuals for violence related to drug trafficking. 

Furthermore, the Mexican Congress is in the process of approving a constitutional reform to classify the production, distribution and commercialization of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs as a serious crime without bail. However, it is publicly known that the chemical precursors used to produce this and other synthetic drugs are illegally entering Canada, the United States and Mexico from Asian countries. This underscores the urgent need for international collaboration. 

You must also be aware of the illegal trafficking of firearms into my country from the United States. Seventy percent of the illegal weapons seized from criminals in Mexico come from your country. We do not produce these weapons, nor do we consume synthetic drugs. Tragically, it is in our country that lives are lost to the violence resulting from meeting the drug demand in yours.

President Trump, migration and drug consumption in the United States cannot be addressed through threats or tariffs. What is needed is cooperation and mutual understanding to tackle these significant challenges. For every tariff, there will be a response in kind, until we put at risk our shared enterprises. Yes, shared. For instance, among Mexico’s main exporters to the United States are General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford Motor Company, which arrived in Mexico 80 years ago. 

Why impose a tariff that would jeopardize them? Such a measure would be unacceptable and would lead to inflation and job losses in both the United States and Mexico. 

I am convinced that North America’s economic strength lies in maintaining our trade partnership. This allows us to remain competitive against other economic blocs. For this reason, I believe that a dialog is the best path to understanding, peace and prosperity for our nations. I hope our teams can meet soon to continue building joint solutions.

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