Sheinbaum: Mexico is "very close" to a trade deal with the United States

MEXICO CITY. — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that her government is "very close" to reaching a trade deal with the United States that would lower tariffs on steel and aluminum, at 50%, and on vehicles, at 25%, although she acknowledged that issues remain unresolved and that there is no final agreement.

At her morning press conference at the National Palace, the president responded to remarks by President Donald Trump, who said on Monday at a rally in Kansas that both countries are about to close "a great deal" to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico, which he put at about $150 billion a year.

According to U.S. Census Bureau figures, the trade deficit with Mexico totaled nearly $156 billion in the first eight months of 2026, an imbalance Trump has used as his main argument to push for changes in the trade relationship.

Sheinbaum explained that Washington is proposing to lower tariffs in exchange for specific requests to Mexico, and warned that nothing outside the Constitution will be negotiated, nor measures that harm the national economy or jobs. "Quite a lot of progress has been made," she said, without offering a date for closing the talks.

The president saw "good attitude" from U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, even though The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the talks had stalled over Lutnick's opposition to tariff cuts.

A day earlier, Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard argued that the United States runs a surplus with Mexico in steel, making that tariff unjustified. Sheinbaum also said she spoke with Trump about a possible larger purchase of U.S. natural gas and that she rejected a request to allow U.S. investment in Mexican oil exploration.

Photo: Informósfera

Source: Informósfera.