Mexico City, Jan 24: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said that there is no need to expedite a review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which was proposed by her US counterpart Donald Trump.
Speaking at her daily press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City late Thursday, local time, Sheinbaum emphasised that “according to the decrees signed by President Trump,” a review of the agreement could begin in 2026, not sooner.
“What typically begins is a consultation process involving business leaders, workers and various societal sectors to assess the agreement’s implementation. Again, the best approach is to adhere to what is written in the decrees,” she said.
An article in The Wall Street Journal, citing sources close to Trump, reported Tuesday that the US President wants to renegotiate the USMCA by leveraging tariff increases on Mexico and Canada. The primary goal appears to be revising automotive regulations to compel car manufacturing plants to relocate to the United States, Xinhua news agency reported.
In response to Mexican business leaders’ calls to prepare for potential tariffs, Sheinbaum said “there is nothing concrete” so far, stressing the importance of awaiting the outcome of the “dialogue already established with the US government.”
Sheinbaum said Wednesday that Mexico and the United States have started formal talks on bilateral issues, such as immigration and security. The talks began Tuesday after the newly-appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio telephoned his Mexican counterpart, Juan Ramon de la Fuente, said the President. “It was a very good, very cordial conversation. They talked about immigration issues and security issues,” said Sheinbaum.
Rubio’s first call as Secretary of State “was to Mexico,” stressed the President, “and it was a very cordial call, the Foreign Minister (De la Fuente) informed me yesterday.” In a statement published Wednesday, Rubio outlined his department’s priorities, with immigration topping the list.
Since his reelection campaign, US President Donald Trump has threatened to take a tough stance on the flow of undocumented migrants and drug trafficking, and on his first day in office he signed a slew of executive orders that directly impact Mexico, including ending the so-called CBP One Mobile Application programme that offered migrants a way to schedule an asylum hearing with US immigration authorities without having to travel to the border.
Trump also reinstated an immigration policy from his first term known as ‘Remain in Mexico’, which forces asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their case makes its way through US immigration courts.
IANS