Mexico proposes aligning policy with US tariffs on Chinese goods

(Patria) - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday that Mexico has proposed aligning US tariffs on China, a move he described as "very interesting" and one that Canada should follow, Reuters reported.

Top Mexican officials met this week with members of Trump's cabinet for trade negotiations ahead of the March 4 deadline, when tariffs proposed by US President Donald Trump on Mexican and Canadian imports, along with an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports, are set to take effect.

"I think it would be a nice gesture if the Canadians did that as well, so that we could protect North America from the flood of Chinese imports coming from the most unbalanced economy in modern history," Bessent said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

Bloomberg, citing a source, reported that the tariffs proposed by Mexico on China would focus on automobiles and auto parts. The move is likely a response by Mexico City to avoid the upcoming 25 percent tariffs by the United States on Mexican goods.

The administration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said for months that it is carefully considering the policies of Washington and Ottawa toward China, even stating before Trump's re-election that it wanted to be "more aligned" in addressing potential unfair Chinese trade practices.

Mexico's Deputy Economy Minister Vidal Llerenas said on Thursday that Mexico could adopt further trade measures beyond the tariffs it has imposed on cheap goods, mostly from China, including counterfeit products, which entered under previous low-price exemptions known as "de minimis."