Mexico City, Mexico - Mexico's trade talks with the US will go ahead, President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday, insisting that Washington's tariff spat with Canada would not impact her country.
All three nations are party to a regional free trade agreement known as US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which is critical for Mexico because 80% of its exports end up in the US.
However, with a US-Canada trade war brewing on Monday, Sheinbaum sought to assuage fears of a negative effect on her country as it attempts to get out of its own set of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
Mexico's economy secretary was in Washington to negotiate a reduction of a 50% tariff on Mexican steel, aluminum, and other products, and a 25% tariff on vehicles, Sheinbaum said.
"We have been working for more than a year now to see how these tariffs can be reduced," she said in response to an AFP question at her daily press conference. "I'm optimistic."
Trump is currently engaged in a fiery dispute with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, after the US' northern neighbor on Friday refused to agree to a deal that it saw as unfair. As a result, the US followed through on its threat of 50% tariffs.
Trump on Monday doubled tariffs on Canadian vehicles starting next year, while Carney declared retaliatory tariffs on US goods effective September 8.
Sheinbaum insisted the ongoing tensions further north would not upend Mexico's efforts to negotiate with Washington. Her country simply wanted to be "in a better position" than it currently was, she said.
The USMCA is also in Trump's crosshairs, the US rejecting a 16-year extension of the regional agreement in July. The deal remains in force for another 10 years and will undergo annual reviews.