United States. President Donald Trump announced Thursday the temporary suspension of most tariffs imposed on Mexico and Canada just two days earlier.
The decision came after a conversation with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Hours later, the White House confirmed that the measure would apply under the same terms for Canada.
The suspension will be in effect until April 2, when the U.S. will announce new reciprocal tariffs for all countries.
Trump justified the decision by pointing to Mexico's cooperation in controlling irregular migration and in efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis. "Our relationship has been very good and we are working hard, together, at the border, both to prevent irregular immigrants from entering the U.S. and to stop fentanyl. Thank you to President Sheinbaum for her hard work and cooperation!" he said in his publication.
For her part, Sheinbaum responded on the social network X, highlighting bilateral collaboration and respect for national sovereignties. "Thank you very much to President Donald Trump. We had an excellent and respectful call in which we agreed that our work and collaboration have yielded unprecedented results, within the framework of respect for our sovereignties. We will continue to work together, particularly on migration and security issues, which include reducing the illegal crossing of fentanyl into the United States, as well as weapons into Mexico," said the president.
The suspension of tariffs means that, until the established date, Mexico and Canada will not face new taxes on products included in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). White House officials reported that the decision was made in part due to commitments by automakers to move their supply chains back to the U.S., as well as joint efforts with Mexico and Canada to reduce fentanyl deaths.
However, tariffs on aluminum and steel imports scheduled for next week remain in place, suggesting that Trump's trade policy could still generate tensions with his North American partners in the short term.
