Washington/Mexico City, Feb 3 (EFE).– US President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that he has postponed the implementation of 25 percent tariffs on Mexican goods for one month after a phone call with his Mexican counterpart, Claudia Sheinbaum, who agreed to deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to the border to curb drug trafficking and illegal migration.
The move follows a tense trade standoff, with Sheinbaum labeling Washington’s accusations of cartel ties “terribly irresponsible” and preparing countermeasures.
Trump, in a message on his Truth Social platform, stated that the suspension would allow for negotiations between both countries, led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“We agreed to immediately pause the anticipated tariffs for a one month period,” Trump wrote.
He described his conversation with Sheinbaum as “friendly,” a sentiment echoed by the Mexican leader in a post on X, where she outlined the agreement.
“We had a good conversation with President Trump, with great respect for our relationship and sovereignty,” Sheinbaum wrote.
She said they had reached a series of agreements, according to which Mexico would “immediately reinforce the northern border with 10,000 of the National Guard to prevent drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, particularly fentanyl.”
She said the US was committed to working to prevent the trafficking of high-powered weapons to Mexico. “Our teams will begin working today on two fronts: security and trade. They are pausing tariffs for one month from now.”
Trump said these National Guard troops “will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our country.”
He also expressed his intent to be personally involved in the negotiations to reach a broader agreement.
The White House had announced on Saturday that the tariffs, set to take effect Tuesday, were a response to the trade deficit, irregular migration, and fentanyl trafficking.
Washington accused Mexican cartels of working in alliance with the government and endangering US national security.
Sheinbaum, who had initially called the White House’s allegations “terribly irresponsible,” was preparing a “Plan B” that included tariff and non-tariff countermeasures before Trump’s decision to postpone the tariffs.
Mexico is the United States’ largest trading partner, with exports to its northern neighbor reaching $490.2 billion in 2023, nearly 30 percent of Mexico’s GDP, according to the Mexican Institute of Competitiveness (IMCO).
The looming tariffs had raised concerns in Mexico, given the deep economic ties between the two nations. EFE
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