Mexican President Claps Back at Trump Over Tariffs

Mexico’s recently elected President Claudia Sheinbaum has responded forcefully to Donald Trump’s plans to levy 25 percent tariffs on goods imported from Mexico if the nation doesn’t stem the flow of undocumented immigrants and drugs across the southern border. 

Sheinbaum promised during a morning news conference on Tuesday that Mexico will retaliate with tax penalties of their own if the president-elect goes through with his tariff plan.

“President Trump, it isn’t with threats or tariffs that we resolve the migratory phenomenon or the abuse of drugs in the United States,” she said, reading from a letter she plans to send her soon-to-be American counterpart. “What’s needed to confront these great challenges is cooperation and understanding.”

Sheinbaum went on to vow that “any tariffs imposed by one side would likely prompt retaliatory tariffs, leading to risks for joint enterprises.”

“Allocating even a fraction of what the United States spends on warfare toward peace building and development would address the deeper drivers of migration,” she added. 

On Monday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that on January 20, “as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders.” 

“This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country! Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price,” he added. 

Incoming Vice President J.D. Vance, acknowledged the post on X, formerly Twitter, writing that “It’s important for our friends and neighbors to not let poison into our country. If they fail to meet this basic obligation they’re going to pay up.”  

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Sheinbaum on Tuesday took issue with the idea that Mexico can simply stop drug traffic, while pointing out America’s role in it. “Seventy percent of the illegal weapons seized from criminals in Mexico come from your country. We do not produce these weapons, nor do we consume synthetic drugs. Tragically, it is in our country that lives are lost to the violence resulting from meeting the drug demand in yours,” she said, claiming that Mexico has “seized tons of various types of drugs, 10,340 firearms, and have detained 15,640 individuals for violence related to drug trafficking.” 

“You may not be aware that Mexico has developed a comprehensive policy to assist migrants from different parts of the world who cross our territory en route to the southern border of the United States,” she added. “As a result, and according to data from your country’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP), encounters at the Mexico–United States border have decreased by 75 percent between December 2023 and November 2024.”

Trump hinged much of his campaign on the promise to round up and deport millions of undocumented migrants from the United States, repeatedly insisting that violent criminals are bringing drugs across the border and wreaking havoc on American communities.

Trump has promised a hardline crackdown on Mexican drug cartels, and has considered sending the U.S. military into Mexico to take them out. As previously reported by Rolling Stone, Trump has asked his advisers to draw up “battle plans” against the drug cartels. “‘Attacking Mexico,’ or whatever you’d like to call it, is something that President Trump has said he wants ‘battle plans’ drawn for,” one source familiar with the situation said. “He’s complained about missed opportunities of his first term, and there are a lot of people around him who want fewer missed opportunities in a second Trump presidency.”

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In May, sources told Rolling Stone that Trump had also expressed a wish to deploy covert assassination squads to Mexico — regardless of the sovereign nation’s consent or cooperation — to take out cartel leaders. 

Early in her presidency, Sheinbaum is attempting to make clear to the incoming president that her administration will not act as a doormat for Trump’s political wishlist, and is pressing the president-elect to seek cooperation over unilateral action. “I believe that dialogue is the best path to understanding, peace, and prosperity for our nations,” she said Tuesday. “I hope our teams can meet soon to continue building joint solutions.”