Mexico is working on security and migration issues to “sit at the table” and negotiate “without obstacles,” Rosendo Gutierrez told a US media outlet.
The Mexican government is doing everything possible to protect the North American trade agreement with Canada and the United States (USMCA), which will be reviewed in 2026, said Rosendo Gutierrez, Undersecretary of Economy, in an interview published on Friday, December 6th.
Mexico is working on security and migration issues to “sit at the table” to negotiate “without obstacles,” Rosendo Gutierrez added to the media outlet Inside US Trade, after the US president-elect, Donald Trump, threatened to impose tariffs on his southern neighbor if those issues were not addressed.
The official said Claudia Sheinbaum’s government is seeking to support companies in the region to replace inputs from Asia with products manufactured in Mexico, Canada, or the United States, an effort that it sees “as a priority before the 2026 review,” according to the outlet.
Trump announced in November, after being re-elected as president, that he would impose 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada if they do not do enough to stem the waves of migration and the drug trafficking of fentanyl that reach US borders. Donald Trump has also threatened tariffs on China.
Gutiérrez traveled to Washington to meet with American business and agricultural groups, as well as lawmakers, Inside Trade reported.
Mexican officials have been in contact with “close associates” of Trump, but not with officials of the incoming government, the undersecretary detailed and reported that Mexico is seeking to develop an investment selection process similar to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
He also explained that Sheinbaum’s administration tries to “follow the same rules” as its trading partners when asked about a possible investment by the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD in the country.
Trump and some leaders of the American automotive industry have accused Mexico of being a “back door” for Chinese goods and investments, which the government of the Latin American nation has denied.
Asked about a dispute over Mexican restrictions on the use of transgenic corn, within the framework of the T-MEC, the undersecretary affirmed that Mexico will comply with the ruling of the panel that analyzes the case, which is expected this month, even if it is unfavorable for the country.
Depending on the result, the Government will evaluate the changes it should make, Rosendo Gutiérrez concluded.
TYT Newsroom
