MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday said there was no justification for U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and said her government would respond with tariff and non-tariff measures.
“There is no reason, rationale or justification to support this decision that will affect our people and nations … Nobody wins with this decision,” Sheinbaum said at her regular morning press conference.
Trump’s tariff actions went live at 12:01 a.m. in Washington (0501 GMT) after an initial 30-day pause, during which Mexican officials engaged in talks with Washington and bolstered security at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trump on Monday declared that Mexico, along with Canada and China, had failed to do enough to stem the flow of the deadly fentanyl opioid and its precursor chemicals into the U.S.
Sheinbaum said Mexico had collaborated with the U.S. on migration, security and anti-drug trafficking.
“In these 30 days, decisive actions were taken against organized crime and fentanyl trafficking, as well as bilateral meetings on security and trade,” Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum said she would give details on Mexico’s response, including retaliatory tariffs, at an event in the capital’s iconic Zocalo square on Sunday.
The Mexican peso weakened on Tuesday morning, trading down around 1% against the dollar.
(Reporting by Kylie Madry; Writing by Brendan O’Boyle; editing by Stephen Eisenhammer)
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