As Mexico Mulls Tariffs On China, Trump Doubles Down on Duties

“The tariffs are going forward, on time, on schedule,” according to President Donald Trump.

The president told journalists at a Monday press conference from the White House that 25-percent duties on Mexico and Canada, which were deferred earlier this month, will be imposed in early March. The president said that the duties were moving forward “very rapidly” following the month-long cooling-off period agreed upon by the trading partners.

“We’ve been mistreated very badly by many countries, not just Canada and Mexico. We’ve been taken advantage of,” Trump added. “We want reciprocity… so if somebody charges us, we charge them.”

Trump’s act of doubling down may have come as a surprise to Mexican officials who met with members of his cabinet last week. Mexico’s government is reportedly mulling hitting China with tariffs in a bid to appease the president and stave off duties on its own U.S.-bound exports.

The plan was masterminded by the Trump administration, which advised Mexican officials on Thursday to impose their own duties on goods originating from China, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Sources close to the matter told the outlet that newly confirmed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Trump adviser Kevin Hassett met with Mexico’s Economy Minister, Marcelo Ebrard on Thursday. While Mexico did not commit to levying new duties during the meeting, Ebrard tweeted, “A constructive dialogue began, next Monday joint work begins.”

Mexico’s government has been toeing a line between holding firm against Trump’s tariff intimidation and seeking to smooth things over with a president that believes the Latin American nation is responsible for the flow of migrants and fentanyl into the U.S. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has been speaking out publicly against Trump’s 25-percent duty proposal since the Commander in Chief first publicized the scheme around Thanksgiving, saying Mexico doesn’t want to engage in a tit-for-tat trade war.

She’s also engaged with the president on trade a number of times since his return to office, negotiating with Trump to defer duties on Mexico for 30 days after he signed an executive order on Feb. 2. At the time, Sheinbaum said, “Mexico does not want confrontation. We start from collaboration between neighboring countries.”

The cooling-off period comes to an end on March 2, after which Trump will move forward with the 25-percent duties on Mexico and Canada, according to his statements Monday.

In the meantime, Lutnick has been charged with providing the White House with reporting on America’s trade relationships, including trade agreements and trade imbalances, before the president makes a decision about reciprocal tariffs on the country’s trade partners across the globe.

Sheinbaum’s level-headed approach to Trump’s shifting trade policies and his bombastic, inflammatory rhetoric has earned widespread approval from Mexican voters. Earlier this month, news outlet El Financiero released the results of a voter survey showing that 81 percent approve of her performance, up from the 78 percent rating reported in December.

However, 47 percent of Mexicans said they consider the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and Mexico to be “bad or very bad.” More than half (56 percent) of respondents said they believe it’s “very likely” that Trump will move forward with the 25-percent duties, and 69 percent said Mexico would be “greatly” impacted if that were to occur.

While a narrow majority of Mexican voters (52 percent) characterized Sheinbaum’s relationship with Trump as “unfavorable,” 31 percent said the opposite, indicating optimism that the relationship can be repaired or that Sheinbaum can act as a stabilizing force.

Sheinbaum has repeatedly indicated, however, that Mexico won’t be bullied by the Trump administration. On Thursday, the Mexican president vowed to protect the country’s sovereignty amid the U.S. government’s designation of several Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, which could lead to U.S. military strikes within Mexican territory. According to CNN, U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones have been flying into Mexican airspace to gather information about the cartels.

Sheinbaum said during her morning press conference that “The people of Mexico, under no circumstances will accept interventions, interference or any other act from abroad that is harmful to the integrity, independence and sovereignty of the nation” whether those actions take place within Mexico’s “land, water, sea or airspace.”