Sheinbaum on Trump’s tariff threats: ‘We have a plan A, a plan B and a plan C. We’re going to wait’

Hours before the deadline for U.S. President Donald Trump to impose a general 25% tariff on Mexican imports expires, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated, without providing further details, that her government has a plan to deal with Trump’s “tariff wall” should it be applied starting this Saturday. “We will always maintain a dialogue with the United States. We have a plan A, a plan B, a plan C, for whatever the United States government decides. We will wait with a cool head, making decisions; we are prepared and we will maintain this dialogue,” she declared on Friday at the National Palace.

Mexico is the biggest exporter to the United States, sending 80% of its exports to that country. The Republican president said on Thursday that the tariffs against Latin America’s second-largest economy, in addition to a trade imbalance issue, will also be imposed in response to the wave of migrants and drug trafficking crossing its southern border.

The Mexican president has confirmed that communication with the Trump administration has been maintained since day one, mainly on the issues of migration and security. “What is our responsibility? To continue the dialogue with respect for Mexico, in a dialogue of equals, and also to prepare for the possibility that these tariffs could come about, and we have been prepared for months; it is something that we have been preparing from the economic cabinet, with business leaders,” she said. Without giving further details about her strategy, the president indicated that officials have been working on this plan for months, but her government will insist, until the last moment, on reaching an agreement with the U.S. to not establish tariffs.

The Ministry of Economy stressed on Friday that Mexico is the main supplier of cars, auto parts, computers, monitors and refrigerators to the U.S. market. As of November last year, when the most recent data is available, more than $644 billion worth of exports went to the United States from Mexican territory. More than 15% of U.S. international purchases come from Mexico, surpassing China and Canada.

Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard has insisted that if a general tariff is imposed on Mexican goods, the main victims will be American consumers due to the inflationary spiral that will be triggered if Mexican imports rise in price. The official estimated the extra cost to the United States at more than $10 billion. “Consumers in the United States would be affected because they would have higher prices, less availability of products and there would be disruptions to supply chains. If this tariff were imposed, they would face higher prices in supermarkets, cars and trucks, household appliances, and medical equipment,” he said.

According to the Ministry of Economy’s calculations, millions of American families will have to pay more for their computers, cars, refrigerators and other appliances. Ebrard said that the increase for computer consumers in the United States will be more than $7 billion, while for refrigerators and other appliances it will be $3 billion. According to his analysis, the American states that will feel the greatest impact will be those close to the border with Mexico: California, Arizona, Florida and Texas.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition