Free of tariffs, 90% of the products exported by Mexico

The agreement reached in the recent call between Presidents Claudia Sheinbaum and Donald Trump temporarily suspend tariffs to almost 90 percent of the products that Mexico exports to the United States under the rules of the T-MEC, said the Secretary of Economy, Marcelo Ebrard.

He explained that negotiations with the United States continue to prevent steel and aluminum rates from entering, scheduled for next Wednesday.

To April we are already working with the EU Commercial Representative team (USTR). The week that enters we will have meetings to be clear about what is proposed and where are we going.

The president (Sheinbaum) takes daily follow -up, indicates where we have to walk and will be informed. ”

Ebrard Casaubón stressed: Mexico exports that comply with the provisions of the Free Trade Agreement will not be subject to rates at least April 2.

When specifying that under the rules of the T-MEC, more than half of our trade is carried out, the Secretary of Economy stressed that who exports to the United States from Mexico chooses if he uses the norms of the commercial treaty, With which it does not pay rates Or “it does it as ‘more favored nation’, because it is more expensive to comply with the established norms, especially the rules of origin.”

The typical case “would be a vehicle that does not comply with provisions of rules of origin of the treaty and that is exported using the ‘most favored nation’ clause, which pays 2.5 percent.”

Based on the executive order of President Trump, which temporarily suspends tariffs, Ebrard mentioned that the US government will “make a country diagnosis by country of its foreign trade. That study will be presented on April 2, as well as the recommended measures.

So that We are on the right track. That does not mean that we agree on everything, but we can communicate, argue and move forward, which is the entrustment we have.

Steel and aluminum levies make sense

The head of Economy considered that the imposition of tariffs on Mexican imports of steel and aluminum by the United States does not make sense for members of the T-MEC region.

In the context of the presentation of products that already carry the seal made in Mexico, the official commented that next week he will be in Washington DC for negotiation with the United States government, including the Undersecretary of Foreign Trade, Luis Rosendo Gutiérrez, is already working on the issue to advance. I’m going on Monday and Tuesdaysaid Ebrard Casaubon.

We are in the negotiation process. There are many technical arguments, but I would say that in essence that tariff does not make sense. Why does it make sense? Because North America is steel deficit.

The United States imports almost 14 billion dollars of steel nothing more than China, so it makes no sense to put rates among the T-MEC partners. What we must do is the oppositehe said.

He considered that a mean of this type only hinders the commercial life of both nations. He recalled that the United States has a surplus of 7 billion dollars with respect to Mexico.

He commented that the Mexican team is negotiating with the common sensebut the idea is that no tariff measurement and aluminum are imposed.

He reiterated that March 12 is the following date of possible tariffs, only steel and aluminum, while on April 2 the new term ends. He said that the date set for the fourth month of this year is very important because it is nothing else if they are going to set rates or not, but what will do (United States) with everyone.